The Job
by Itadakimasu
Summary: Higurashi, Kagome has just transferred to the best hospital in the city as a new nurse...her first patient? none other than Inu-yasha! review please!
1. Default Chapter

AN: Sorry if the characters are really OOC! It's my first fic after all but I really have tried hard! Anyway.Inu-yasha and co. are not mine so don't even think of suing me! Well.here goes the story!  
  
"Higurashi, Kagome"  
  
Kagome could hear her name being called out in the class. She really hoped that she had passed this nursing test, it had been her life-long dream to help cure people; she was just that kind of person.  
  
"Yes" she said while standing up from her desk. Kagome clenched her fist until her knuckles turned white. Cold perspiration started to form at the top of her forehead. She could even feel her heart beating. An uneasy feeling started to form in Kagome's stomach.  
  
"." the examiner said as he started to flip through the class records. The little booklet he held in his hands was getting crumpled through all the flipping that he had done to it. Please, let me pass! Please please! Kagome screamed out in her head. She was really desperate.  
  
"Passed."  
  
Kagome let out a sigh of relief at the notation that she had passed. She couldn't overcome the feeling of happiness set in her heart. The smile never left her face.  
  
"Inori, Suikitama."  
  
Suikitama Inori was the smartest girl in the class. As the youngest person in the school she had outranked everyone. She had never failed an exam in her life. Kagome looked up towards the girl's bored face. I just wish she wasn't so self-confident all the time! It makes other people feel really bad; Kagome thought.  
  
"Failed"  
  
"What?!" Suikitama exclaimed at the poor examiner. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. "Check it again! I demand a recheck of my scores!" she called out.  
  
The class couldn't believe it too. Perfect Suikitama Inori had just gotten the first fail mark in her life; right when it really counted too.  
  
"I told you Ms. Inori, you have failed the test whether you believe it or not. You can retake it next year if you still want to go for this nursing job of yours. Now sit back down in your seat and please let me continue on with my duty."  
  
Kagome felt sorry for the girl, after all, she had studied so much for this test; blocking off everyone that she knew, doing everything that she could in order to prepare; but somehow, deep inside her heart, she felt that Inori deserved what she had gotten.  
  
The bell rang signaling the end of all classes. Kagome got up slowly from her desk, suddenly realizing that the instructor had not dismissed the class yet.  
  
"It is all-right, Ms. Higurashi, everyone who has gotten their results, please proceed ahead of the class. For those who have not obtained their marks, please stay in this class until that is done. Thank you all and have a nice break."  
  
Kagome literally skipped away from class, her position was enviable, much of the class that had gotten back their results were not happy with them. She heard a voice calling out to her.  
  
"Higurashi-san!" it called out.  
  
Kagome stopped dead in her tracks. Please, oh please let it not be him. That Hojo guy! God he's so boring. I can't believe that I used to date him! What was I thinking? She thought. As far as she could tell Hojo did not want to go to nursing school, the only reason he did, was that Kagome was going to it.  
  
Hmph.that would be funny, she thought, so if I went to an all girl's modeling contest.which I personally wouldn't.he would go there too?  
  
"What is it Hojo?" she asked politely. Unfortuantely.Hojo had passed the test for nursing, he would probably follow her to where she was working.  
  
"Ah.I was wondering.what place are you going to work at?" he asked.  
  
"Umm..umm.." quick, Kagome! Make up something.anything! "This place up at the alley.yeh..it's really in need of nurses and stuff! It's a free hospital for a nice cause! I don't think that you would like to go there!"  
  
"Ahh..we'll see Higurashi-san! And by the way..here is a bouquet of roses together with some newly developed health sandals!"  
  
Kagome watched as Hojo dumped all the stuff in her hands. Really.he was a nice guy..but way too boring and naïve! She couldn't stand it.  
  
Ahh.she thought.I better tell Sango the good news!  
  
Sango Ikuzani had been her best friend for years.now she was her roommate. Her father was some sort of high placed business man..she got anything she wanted. Since Kagome's family was not exactly rich.nevertheless middle class.Sango had kindly offered free accommodation at her apartment.  
  
Thank you for Sango! She is a god-send! Kagome exclaimed in her mind.  
  
Kagome literally ran towards the apartment, not noticing the people staring at her. Unnoticing herself, she bumped into someone really hard.  
  
"Ahhh.ouch ouch ouch! Gomenesai! I didn't mean to run into you!"  
  
"Ka-kagome?" said a very VERY familiar voice.  
  
"EH?!" she shouted "Is it really you?!"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You're still the same as ever!"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And will you stop with all the "yes" "yes"? this isn't a yes/no show you know?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Hontouni! How has it been this far?"  
  
"OK"  
  
"No really.anything else besides that? A girlfriend? A job?"  
  
"No."  
  
"You mean.nothing?!"  
  
A pang of guilt had been burdened on Kagome.true she had dated this guy before.when she was back at the village. She used to hate him.and him.her..but it had all changed when his otosan suddenly got very sick.Kagome had helped to nurse him.but to no avail. He died three months later. Eventually the two of them hit it off and started to date but when Kagome decided to move to the city it had ended abruptly. She felt it was kind of her fault that he had nobody right now.  
  
"It has nothing to do with you, b*tch"  
  
"Why are you so cold again? I thought that we left it as friends"  
  
"No reason."  
  
"So do you want to come over sometime? Catch up on before?"  
  
"That is not of my interest."  
  
"Fine.fine.I don't care! Not anymore.you know what's your problem? It's that you're a stupid, stupid jerk! I left happily out of the village thinking that we were going to be friends! That you weren't going to turn so cold after it! I guess I was wrong.Good-bye.Sesshoumaru."  
  
(*AN: ehem ehem..sorry sorry for putting Sesshoumaru into all of this!!!! But he has a part to play in this little twisted story of mine.so just bear with me for a little longer ok? And what am I doing making an author's note in the middle of the chapter? Ahh..i'm continuing right now.)  
  
Kagome didn't notice it.but for one moment in both their lives.Sesshoumaru could feel hurt.  
  
~~**~~**~~**~~**~~  
  
"Sango-chan! Tadaima!"  
  
"Okaeri! How did the test go? How did it go? How did it go?!?!! Tell me! Or else you're dead!" Sango said excitedly while crinkling her eyes.  
  
"Well.I passed it! I passed it! I can't believe it! Now I can finally work at that huge hospital!"  
  
"Good job Kagome-chan! I knew you would pass! You're so smart already! Here.I'll make you some of your favorite instant food!"  
  
"Arigatou Sango.." Kagome said; less happily this time.  
  
"What's wrong, Kagome-chan?"  
  
"Umm.it's just that.I met Sesshoumaru again today."  
  
"Oh.that jerk."  
  
"Come on, Sango! I mean he didn't use to be this bad..once he was really nice to me! And now he's just so cold.I can't believe it!"  
  
"Kagome-chan.it's time that you forget about Sesshoumaru.besides! He doesn't even deserve you! So don't you dare think about going back to him!"  
  
"I'm not thinking about that! It's just that I don't like making enemies!"  
  
"Well.it happens to the best of us.it'll be all-right Kagome-chan! Don't worry about it!"  
  
"Thanks Sango! I don't know what I'll do without you.by the way.how's it going with that Miroku guy? Are you guys going to be a couple anytime soon?"  
  
Sango's face had turned beat red by the time Kagome ended her sentence.but not because of embarrassment but because she was angry.  
  
"Ah.gomen Sango-chan! I didn't mean to ask that."  
  
"It's ok. It's just that he is such a jerk! All he wants is to touch my butt and nothing else! It make me really mad! I'm thinking of trying to ignore him for a couple of weeks.you know? So he will know that I'm not the sort of person that just wants to have a relationship with a stupid guy like that!"  
  
"Aww.sorry about that! And I thought you guys were going to be a couple."  
  
"No way will that happen! When are you going to go to apply for that job?"  
  
"Oh my god! I'm supposed to go now! Sango-chan..thanks for everything and wish me good luck! I gotta go now!" Kagome quickly grabbed her duffel coat and sped outside of the room.  
  
"Umm.good luck!" sango shouted across the hall.  
  
"THANKS!"  
  
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~  
  
(after the interview)  
  
"well Ms. Higurashi.it seems that you have had a very good record! Welcome to Mirai hospital. The hospital of the future. Your shift starts in about..five minutes? Can you change that fast?"  
  
"Yes. Thank you so much for hiring me! I'm sure you won't regret it."  
  
"well I hope I won't! You're a very promising young woman and I'd hate to have to lose you!"  
  
"Thank you again!"  
  
Kagome sped out of the room taking her nurse's uniform with her. She couldn't believe it! Today was the perfect day.it was the best day in her life! Except for meeting with Seeshoumaru and all that.she quickly rushed over towards the head nurse's room.  
  
It's my first day..so I have to act really, really, really, good.I can't make a mistake.nope.not now.not ever! Kagome raised her fist in the action and put it down again as she saw people.patients, doctors and nurses.staring at her in a weird fashion.  
  
Nope.I don't want to look like I deserve to be in the mentally ill section of the hospital. Oh.what was I thinking? Now people will think of me as the weird nurse that raises her fist for nothing!  
  
"You're thinking too much Kagome" she heard a voice in the back of her head  
  
"Yeh I guess I should listen to you" Kagome muttered under her breath. She looked around and was happy to see nobody was there.  
  
At least I won't be famous for talking to myself too.she thought.  
  
Kagome hurried over towards the office again and a few stares were glanced towards her.  
  
"I'm really sorry I'm late! I just got lost for a while. It will never happen again. Gomen."  
  
"No.that's quite all-right.we were just looking at you because of your new assignment." Said the head nurse.  
  
"Well.what about it?"  
  
"Umm.let's get down to the details."  
  
"There is a new patient that is being transferred to your division. He has been in ICU for a couple of days and is now recovering swiftly. He is the victim of multiple gunshot wounds.it's very, very, lucky that he even survived this ordeal. There are three bullet wounds in his chest, just missing the heart, two in the stomach and five that penetrated both his arms and legs. It's even more amazing that he still has the possibility to walk again."  
  
Kagome tried to take in all this information, it was so much at once! Her first patient looked really hard to deal with, a gun shot victim? That was a hard one. Especially since wounds were not easily closed up.  
  
"That's not all Ms. Higurashi."  
  
"Please, call me Kagome."  
  
"All-right, Kagome, if you think that that is the hardest part of this job you are wrong. Well you see, the patient has a little bit of a.personality.problem. Actually.a very large personality problem. The last nurse.she was here for six years.that tended to him in the ICU quit her job. It's very.unfortunate that we lost her.but.that's how bad it is."  
  
Kagome gulped at the sound of it. A six year nurse? She should've been used to patients like that..but  
  
Kagome was never one to back down.  
  
"It's all-right.but what is so bad about the patient's personality?"  
  
"You'll see Kagome.when you get there."  
  
There were a few whispers going about the room. She heard one saying. "I'm so sorry she's new.and she looks like such a nice person too.I wish she didn't have to get that patient."  
  
"Come on! He can't be THAT bad!"  
  
"Oh he is." They all said in unison.  
  
"Fine.can you please tell me his name.and also his room number."  
  
"His room number is 52."  
  
Kagome turned around on her heels and headed for the door.  
  
"One tip Kagome.do not.I repeat do not.try and offend the patient. He is the son of one of the most prominent business men around. Even though the records suggest that he is adopted.they treat him like a son of their own. If you ever try and argue with the patient, do anything of that such, we will be forced to fire you. We do not need any lawsuits coming to this hospital."  
  
"Yes, I understand. And the patient's name?"  
  
"Ikariyu. Inu-yasha Ikariyu."  
  
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~  
  
AN: So how was it? Did you hate it? Did you like it even one tiny bit? Please tell me! I accept flames but put some constructive critiscm with them too ok? And don't forget to review! 


	2. WHat'S hE LIkE?

AN: Hello everyone! It's me again! Thanks for all of your reviews and suggestions! Anyway, I'm going to try and write a long chapter this time, I hope you all like it. Oh yeh, Inu-yasha and everyone else in the story are not mine, well, the head nurse might be but I will gladly switch her for inu-yasha; I don't think rumiko takahashi will though. Anyway, here goes the story! Hope you enjoy.  
  
"Inu-yasha, Ikariyu" The words hit Kagome like a ton of bricks would feel like slamming into her stomach. She couldn't believe her ears; she tried pinching herself.  
  
This must be a dream! She though, Inu-yasha Ikariyu, I really can't believe it! If I ever fail this job, if he goes and complains to his father about me, about this hospital, about anything that I have done wrong, it will be the end of everything. It will be the end of my life as I know it, and even now it isn't as good as I would like it to be. That little daddy's boy, if I do something bad, then I'll be fired for sure! I'll never ever be able to find another job! I wonder if this is going to be the end of me? NO WAY! I cannot back out! This has been my dream and it will stay my reality! So I will try my best and not be defeated!  
  
Kagome let out a wave a triumph into the air and that was the time when she noticed that everyone was looking at her, yet again. Kagome slumped a little bit forwards, slightly getting frustrated with herself for acting so unprofessional on her first day.  
  
"Well, all I can say, Kagome, is that this can either be the breakthrough of your career as a nurse, or it can be the downfall of everything. And also, we all wish you good luck! We hope you will live if only for a day longer with your new patient."  
  
"Ah, everyone, this isn't exactly helping me." Kagome said dryly, everyone was so pessimistic here! How bad could one patient be? Sure, this one guy could choose to ruin her life but even someone like that was still a human being with feelings and sympathy towards others! Kagome just figured that everyone was overreacting to the situation, it was probably some kind of "new nurse" joke or something that comes up every once in a while.  
  
That's right, Kagome thought, they're all trying to test me to see how much I can bear! Of course this isn't going to be all that bad. Everything's been going good today so how can it suddenly turn into a nightmare all of a sudden? I better be going now.  
  
Kagome looked at her watch and saw how long she had stayed in the nurse's office. This wasn't going to make a good impression at all! She straightened her skirt and informed everyone that she was about to leave.  
  
"Minna, I'm going to leave now to attend to my patient! And I bet you he can't be all that bad!" Kagome said cheerfully as she turned towards the door to open it. In the distant background, she could hear the other nurses singing her songs of good luck and throwing confetti everyone. All Kagome could do was slap her forehead and walk outside.  
  
Geez, she said to herself, everyone here is so weird!  
  
Kagome straightened her shoulders to make herself look more nurse-like, her face was set sternly anticipating her first experience as a worker. A soft smile slowly crept up towards her face and it brightened up her mood considerably. She walked confidently towards her patient's room, making sure that everything was all right with herself, she opened the door to the room.  
  
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~  
  
Sango could not believe what she had just saw, it was all way too much to take in. First Kagome passed the nursing test, then, she was offered instant oden and suddenly, she got reminded of a nursing job that she was supposed to have somewhere.  
  
Wow, Sango thought, I actually processed all of that information, well, that's pretty amazing. I better clean up this place now; just looking at it gives me the creeps. Even though dad had trusted Kagome and I to take care of this room, I guess we just weren't responsible enough. Oh my God, what is that in the corner? Is that what I think it is? Oh my God it really is a cockroach! KILL!  
  
Sango grabbed an old newspaper and rolled it up into a tight bat, she quickly ran over towards the cockroach and had to hit in numerously many times until it finally heaved its last sigh into the world and passed on into wherever insects went after death.  
  
Hmph, she thought, just like that bastard, Miroku, extremely hard to die. Except Miroku is probably made up of eight million cockroaches combined so that it's impossible for him to be killed!  
  
Sango mused at the thoughts of how Miroku could possibly be murdered and found herself shocked at the thoughts that were crossing her mind. Normally she wasn't so violent, it was only if someone really made her mad that she would turn like this. Sango forced herself to stop thinking; it wasn't going to do any good to anyone. She decided to continue on with cleaning up the place, picking up some stray trash that was lying here and there. It would be hours before all of this was finished! God, she wished that someone would be here to just help her! Anyone, she would accept even a homeless guy into this room and pay him a whole bunch of money.  
  
Sango put all of the trash that she had gathered since she had started into a large black trash bag, she looked around the room and her heart blackened; after all that she had done earlier there was still so much! She sighed and tied up the plastic bag; Sango opened the door to her room and went outside of it to the trash dump. It was around one hundred meters away, not very far yet not exactly a short walk.  
  
Come on, Sango! Are you really that out of shape? Dad would be really embarrassed at you, especially since he had trained you, yes, ESPESCIALLY you, to use the sacred weapon, Hiraikotsu! Yeh! I have to shape up! Now, run!  
  
If anyone was watching at that precise moment, they would've thought that she was running away from some kind of murderer, it might've even been in the evening news, if only there were someone chasing her.  
  
Sango quickly rushed backwards to her room and realized in agony that she had not locked or even closed the damn door! There could've been an intruder inside the house, someone could've stolen everything or else, what if there were an underwear thief? {[AN: sorry just had to put that there]} If there was anybody in the house, she would make sure that she would beat them up to pieces! She was no weak woman!  
  
Sango took a quick peek around the room, slowly picking up a baseball bat that lay concealed underneath the sofas, she walked around the house but it was silent. A silent cluttering suddenly sounded and this built up Sango's reflexes.  
  
"Watch out, you bastard!" Sango said, swinging her bat at full force.  
  
"EH?" she screamed out, there was no one there!  
  
"Ahhh, .so it was Kirara!"  
  
Kirara was the unusual pet that she and Kagome had found on the back of an alleyway street, they had kept her and fed the poor animal in secret, because if she ever had been found out by the apartment keeper, it would be thrown out. Yes, there were just some people out there that despised animals entirely. Sango picked up Kirara and held her close towards herself; she apologized to the little pet and gently put it down. Kirara was a confusing animal, she looked like a kitten, yet her eyes and bushy tail did not entirely suit the description. The two girls always thought she was some kind of new species; but even if she were, they would never report her to some crazy scientist.  
  
"So there's no-one here!" Sango cried out in happiness. "Oh well, I guess I have to get on with my cleaning."  
  
Sango looked around the room and realized at that exact moment, that it was extremely clean, spotless to be exact, there was no trash, no little cockroaches lying around, heck, there was even no weird black things on the floor! It was a miracle.maybe she had done this unconsciously but something like this was absurd. A little piece of white paper that was attached underneath a stone caught Sango's eye, on it, was some badly scrawled out handwriting.  
  
"Hey, I hope this has helped you guys, you should keep your apartment cleaner,"  
  
There was something in the back of her head that suggested who this writing was from, but she quickly dismissed the idea. It was totally impossible, nope, not impossible, but totally out of the world, if it had happened it would go down into a phenomenon that was never to happen again!  
  
Ick, how could I even think of that bastard at a time when I'm happy like this! Maybe he poisoned my mind or something, but I am never going to forgive him no matter what! What he did not me was not something that should happen ordinarily, I hate him so much! Even if he did this, it isn't enough to make up as an apology, the bastard! Hmph, I'm going to make myself some tea now, that'll calm me down from this state! Yes, tea is going to be very relaxing, maybe I'll even let Kirara have some!  
  
Sango picked up Kirara and headed over towards the cupboard to get some tea, inside, a piece of yellow paper came falling out.  
  
"Sorry, I stole all your tea! You can't get these in the normal stores so I guess I took some for myself."  
  
She quickly crumpled up the note and flicked it into the trash bin.  
  
What a waste of paper! She thought, I really, really will never forgive him now! After what he's done and stealing my precious tea! He'll get his revenge for sure! God, I hate that bastard, Miroku!  
  
But secretly, unbeknownst to even herself, a tiny space inside her heart wished that he was still inside the room.  
  
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~  
  
Kagome Higurashi took a deep breath and entered the large suite that was supposed to be called a hospital room. It was even larger then her previous house in the village! She took a look around the room; there were three large windows that surrounded the far wall completely. Curtains draped the sides of it, they were pure with embroidery carved on it so delicately and intricately that Kagome herself was staring in awe at them. Inside the room were two beds, one for some guests that might be staying overnight; this one was drenched in a velvet blue mattress. Her eyes shifted towards the patient bed that lay just a couple of meters away from the other and she gasped. The man that was lying on that bed, he was so much like someone she knew. So much, like Sesshoumaru. There was no mistaking the beautiful silver hair, the amber eyes, because she knew that almost nobody in the world looked like that. Her mind started wondering everywhere at the possibilities that lay around her. Didn't Sesshoumaru once say that a brother of his had been born when he was only five years of age and had been given up for adoption because the family had no ways of feeding itself? And also, the head nurse said that the patient was adopted! There were so many coincidences! If she brought Sesshoumaru here he would be so happy to be reunited with his little brother! Sure he didn't talk of him much but that was only because Sesshoumaru didn't know his brother, right?  
  
Argh, Kagome screamed silently, what am I thinking of? I'm supposed to be MAD at Sesshoumaru! But really, even a person as insane as anything would try and unite these two brothers right? Of course! I'll try and bring him here just this once and then THAT will be the last time I ever have to talk to Sesshoumaru again! Yup, just that one last favor.  
  
The patient on the bed opened his eyes at the sound of someone entering into the door, he gasped at the figure that entered the room. Could it be? Was it really? He didn't dare think about it, just in case he was wrong, but the resemblance was striking! The eyes, the face, the hair, heck, even the body shape was the same as her! Maybe, just maybe, it was that person.  
  
"Ki-Kikyou?" he asked in a soft but audible voice. Inu-yasha sat up straight and refocused his eyes. It had to be her! If it was not then it was either some relation or his eyesight had suddenly gone from perfect vision until extremely bad.  
  
The mention of the name snapped Kagome away from her trance; she suddenly concentrated again and smiled towards the patient. They had always taught her at the nursing school that a smile went a very long way. Kagome bowed towards the patient and was ready to make her introduction.  
  
"No, sorry, I think you've gotten me mistaken! My name is Higurashi. Higurashi, Kagome. But just call me Kagome please! From now on I will be your nurse, Ikariyu-sama."  
  
"No! You've got to be her; you've got to be Kikyou! Stop joking Kikyou! You're not that Kagome wench or whatever she is, stop it! It's all a joke right?"  
  
"What did you call me?!" Kagome was fuming with anger, she didn't expect to be called a "wench", after all, what had she done to him to make him hate her so much? What was wrong with her name or what she had done? If the introduction of the two was as bad as this she certainly didn't want to find out what spending her work-time and answering requests just to please this guy would be like! Maybe the nurses were right, maybe he was just a really stupid, jerk that deserved nothing. But Kagome decided to give it a try anyway.  
  
"Feh. So you're not Kikyou!" Inu-yasha readjusted his eyes again, "Come to think of it you don't look a bit like her! She was a lot prettier, more feminine, her face wasn't so boring and her voice wasn't as stupid as yours. Geez, I don't know why I even mistaked you for her! You're just a fuck*ng stupid girl!"  
  
"Excuse me, but I don't appreciate being called that! Can we start over again?" Kagome was practically burning off all her energy just trying to keep in her anger towards this "special" patient, no wonder that nurse never lasted near him! And the scariest thought was that if he was a lot weaker in ICU and he was healthier now, then, that would make his "especially charming" personality even "better".  
  
"Nope, b*tch, we cannot, why don't you just finish your job and go back to your little nurses place? You're not smart enough to be a doctor are you? So that's why you're a nurse! What a dumbass some people are!"  
  
"I'm sorry but I graduated at the top of my class! The smartest girl in the course couldn't even pass the exam!" Kagome's face was slowly going red, she was ready to punch the guy but because it would further endanger her career, she decided not to. This guy was even worse than Sesshoumaru! She thought of what horrors would happen when they were reunited.  
  
"Ooh, wow, give me a load of all that top of the class sh*t, come on just finish your job and leave wench!"  
  
"No wonder that nurse quit, you are a really big jerk." Kagome muttered under her breath while grabbing the IV bottle in the room. She put on her sanitary gloves, which fit, perfectly on her slim hands.  
  
"What did you say about me, wench? I heard that!" Inu-yasha screamed out at her like some crazed lunatic. His previously peaceful face had turned into a disarrayment of hatred and anger.  
  
"Ah, nothing, Inu-yasha-SAMA, I just said that I am going to be quick, and leave as immediately as possible. You have nothing to worry about, Inuyasha- SAMA." Kagome said dryly. She hated the guy already.  
  
"Feh. Whatever, b*tch"  
  
Kagome had just about enough, she walked over quickly towards the IV pump and hastily put on the new bottle replacing the old one. After that she stormed out of the door, leaving the patient in an agony of laughter. Kagome looked at her watch again and saw that she had only been there for thirty minutes, she could not bear half an hour with him, how will she survive all day long? Her fingers slowly went up to her neck and they caught hold of her necklace. She could see the chain breaking, its links finally giving way to its age. Kagome could find tears welling up in her eyes; the necklace had been so precious to her. It had been the only memory she ever had of her father.  
  
: Flashback:  
  
"Daddy!" A five-year-old Kagome cried out to her father, it was one of those rare occasions where they would go shopping for groceries into the nearest city. "Look daddy! This necklace is really pretty!" Kagome pointed out the necklace in a jewelry display, in it, was centered a small diamond, the chain was made of pure gold.  
  
"That's a really nice one Kagome! But I don't think we can afford it, honey! Maybe later, when you grow up."  
  
The man could watch his daughter's face fall, her pretty eyes were downcast, "But daddy, it's my birthday in a couple of weeks." She said, with tears in her eyes.  
  
"Well, I'll think up of something! Your gift will be a surprise!" her father winked at her and grabbed her tiny hand. She walked along with him, slowly looking away from the store window. She didn't know it but her father took one last glance at the necklace, he noted down its price.  
  
3000 dollars, I hope we have enough money to buy it, just this once for my little Kagome, he thought while smiling.  
  
: On Kagome's birthday :  
  
"Kagome! It's time to open your presents!" Kagome's mother called out to her, she had baked a cake especially for this day, cooking utensils and such were extremely expensive and other food besides the ones that they grew were rare treats for the child. In a couple of months, it would be two children. She was pregnant with another one and had already known what kind name she would give to the child. If it was a girl, then Shiryuu, if it was a boy, then Souta. Yes, she would name them after her mother, or after her husband.  
  
"Really mommy? Thank you!!" six year old Higurashi Kagome rushed forwards toward her presents, one of them caught her sight, even though it was the smallest one, she had always been taught that the smallest things could be the greatest gifts, so she opened it first. Kagome tore open the wrapping paper and opened up the small box that was inside. She gasped as she saw the figure in it. It was the same exact necklace that she had wanted when she was walking with her father! Kagome slowly held it up and excitedly put it up towards the light, she could see the small diamond glinting and the gold of it was shining like the sun.  
  
"Mommy, mommy! Quick, quick, put it on me!" Kagome cried out excitedly.  
  
"Of course honey, of course!" her mother had watched her child in happiness, Kagome was growing up so fast, she could not dream of the day when her daughter would eventually leave the house in pursuit of a life of her own. It would hurt so much. And her second child would eventually go away too. That would leave her alone with just her husband. At least, she had someone to grow old and die with, and she knew that her children would always be there for her no matter what. She walked over towards Kagome and put the necklace on her daughter. It only made Kagome's features stand out even more. Even as a child she was beautiful!  
  
"Thank you mommy! Thank you!" Kagome said.  
  
"If you really want to thank someone, it's your dad! Here, I'll call him up and then you can talk to him!"  
  
"Yay!" Kagome cried out in joy, she couldn't believe it, so far everything was going right for her, she had gotten her necklace and her baby brother or sister would be born soon! She couldn't wait to be able to hold the baby and see what it would be like.  
  
Kagome's mother slowly picked up the receiver of the phone and dialed her husband's work number; she hummed her favorite tune while doing so.  
  
"Yes, may I please speak to Souta Higurashi please? Say that this is his wife speaking."  
  
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Higurashi, but there's been an accident."  
  
:::end of flashback:::  
  
Kagome couldn't bear to remember what happened after this, it was too much memories at once. She held the broken necklace in the palm of her hand, squeezing it gently before pocketing it in the pockets of her uniform. She took in a deep breath and cleaned up her tears, at least her eyes were not red yet from crying, she would have to do the rest of it at home, but she didn't want Sango knowing, her roommate would just be way too worried. Kagome entered the nurse's office again and heaved a sigh of relief.  
  
"So how was it, Kagome?" the head nurse asked.  
  
"It was, an interesting experience, yes, well, the guy was a complete jerk!" Kagome said angrily while recalling the previous event.  
  
"Trust me honey, it ain't gonna get any easier after this. Just thank God that your shift is over today! You can go home now."  
  
"Thanks! What time do I have to come in tomorrow? Sorry, they haven't told me at the office yet." Kagome asked.  
  
"At seven a.m. precisely! You've got to be here!" was her response.  
  
"OK, I'll see you tomorrow! Sayonara!" Kagome hurried over towards the exit of the large building, not noticing the tears that were welling up in her eyes, she quickly ran into the parking lot and walked over towards the direction of her apartment.  
  
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~  
  
Miroku had gotten out of the girl's apartment; he had cleaned it up for them and gotten his bags of tea that he really wanted. He sure hoped that Sango would forgive him for what he had done; after all, it was a really bad thing to do. Other girls would just have killed him, but Sango was different. He hoped that someday he would be able to make it up to her. Somehow, somehow. He walked down the stairs this time instead of taking the lift and turned right. A figure hurried over towards him, seemingly unnoticing about him. He recognized it immediately.  
  
"Kagome?" he asked in the darkness.  
  
"Ah, Miroku!" she said, while sniffling quietly.  
  
"Why are you crying?" his curiosity got the better of him, he just needed to know.  
  
"Ah, I'm not! It's just, ummm, allergies! I better head towards Sango or else she'll flip out!" Kagome said, she tried to cover up her sadness with a form of excited ness in her voice, but she was one of the worst actors, she never could conceal a lie.  
  
"Ahhh, don't tell me that, come on, why don't we talk, I mean.." Miroku said while his hand slowly, yet still surely, went towards Kagome. It slid down her waist onto his favorite spot. He let out a sigh of happiness as he finally got there.  
  
"MIROKU!" Kagome screamed out while slapping his hand away. She didn't know how, but someway Miroku had actually brought her back to reality with that perverted gesture. It seemed as though part of her sadness was taken away. Inside her heart she thanked him for drying up her tears.  
  
"Ahhh, did I do that again? I'm really sorry, Kagome, it seemed as though my hand just slipped." He said while trying out his new innocent face.  
  
"That isn't gonna work on me, hasn't worked on other people and has never worked on me." Kagome said while trying not to knock on Miroku's head, something underneath his arm caught her gaze, it was four packs of some drink that he had obtained, and she couldn't make out what it was. "What's that under your arm?" she asked questioningly.  
  
"Ah, this is, umm, umm, umm, ahhh, it's, umm." Miroku had no words to explain what he had obtained; after all he had done to get it!  
  
"Oh my God! That is Sango's tea! She's going to kill you when she finds out you took it! You better put it back and apologize to her! Or else she'll never forgive you!" Kagome screamed out. She really didn't want to know what happened when Sango was deprived of that drink, it would be the scariest day of her life. Sango would just kill everyone in sight to go find that thing.  
  
"It's not like she's going to forgive me anyway." Miroku said sadly.  
  
"What happened between you two? I though you guys were getting along just fine and then now you're all avoiding each other? What happened on that date?" Kagome asked, she thought she knew what did. Miroku probably got all lecherous again and tried touching some pretty waitress's butt and Sango got so tired of this that she decided never to speak to him again! But before she wasn't really that bothered about it? So that probably wasn't the answer to her question, she needed to know but even Sango wouldn't tell her.  
  
"Ah, maybe I'll tell you someday Kagome, but not now. Here, I'll give you the tea, and you can say to Sango that I'm sorry for taking it!"  
  
An idea suddenly popped in Kagome's head, she thought that it might work. Since Sango and Miroku were not going to talk to each other out of their own free will, she would just make them talk to each other! That's right, Miroku would be forced to say sorry to Sango and then the two of them could patch it up together and get together again! That was the perfect plan. A glint rose in Kagome's eye and she began the start of her plan.  
  
"Say, Miroku, I think you have to come up for awhile, you know? You can drink some of this tea, I bet you that if I ask Sango will let you, and during that process, you can say how sorry you are to her about this and about what you did in your date!"  
  
Miroku did not her about the apologizing or the tea, he only heard the part where Kagome told him to come up, ooh, this was going to be the best night ever! Totally cool. Miroku's eyes danced with joy and he quickly grabbed Kagome while pulling her across the street towards the apartment.  
  
Kagome didn't know what was going on, but she just figured that Miroku really wanted to see Sango.  
  
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~  
  
AN: Ooh, Miroku's gone all perverted again, and poor Kagome-chan doesn't know what the hell he's thinking! What really happened between Sango and Miroku? And will Inu-yasha ever be nice to Kagome? Thank you for reading and please review and tell me your opinion about this fic! Thank yous!!! 


	3. ViSItOr?

AN: Well, all I can say is, I'm sorry Miroku has to be such a pervert.  
  
Miroku dragged over Kagome towards her apartment. He was excited as hell. He had been asking women to bear his child for years and now he finally found someone. This was perfect! Everything was going right now! He opened the door towards Kagome's apartment and pushed her in, a smile still on his face. Kagome was just amazed that the lazy Miroku who couldn't bother to do anything himself could be that fast. She was greeted by her roommate who didn't look too happy.  
  
"Ah, Sango, look who I brought! Now you guys can make up!" Kagome said excitedly.  
  
"No way. I don't want that bastard here or anywhere near me for that sake, and I don't think that he should be near you either. I mean it Kagome, he's a jerk and a stupid idiot who deserves nothing." Sango said in anger. She couldn't believe Kagome, after all her complaints about Miroku, she still brought him up here? That was totally unacceptable!  
  
"Sango-chan, please, he wants to say he's sorry, please do this, for me?" Kagome asked, looking at her roommate with her special puppy-dog eyes. Sango of course, could never resist anyone pleading to her.  
  
"Fine, but Kagome, I'm warning you, this is only for you and no body else, because if you didn't ask me to do this, I wouldn't do anything except for kick him out of the room."  
  
"Sango, I'm really, really sorry about what happened last time. I was drunk, not sober, I didn't know what I was doing." Miroku asked. He wanted to be friends with her again. He knew that the date had gone terribly wrong.  
  
"Well since Kagome had asked me to forgive you I guess I have to, now get out of here I want to relax in my apartment." Sango said while clenching her teeth. Obviously she was still angry but that scary smile was plastered on her face.  
  
"OK." Miroku agreed sadly. He went out of the door and closed it quietly.  
  
"Sango-chan? Did you really forgive him?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Yes." Sango said although they both knew she was lying.  
  
"Can you tell me what happened between you guys? I mean, if it's not too much trouble." Kagome asked.  
  
"OK. But can you promise never to tell anyone?" Sango demanded.  
  
"Of course! I'm your friend, I would never do that to you."  
  
"Fine, then here's the story. It started right around the time our date was around finished, at 10 pm, you know? But Miroku had a few beers and a couple of wine glasses. Actually, he had around 2 bottles of wine and he started to say some weird things. At first I ignored them but they were getting pretty messed up you know? And then I said to him to stop it. And he told me to shut up. He also asked me if I wanted to come to his house that night to. . . you know. . ." Kagome just nodded along. ". . .but after I said no to him, he said to me, that he didn't want me anyway. That there was another woman that he really needed, but he couldn't get, that it was impossible. And he just left me there. I even had to pay the bill and everything." Sango said.  
  
"Oh my God. Now I can believe why you won't forgive him! But he was drunk, and that was just some act that he was doing, I mean, he couldn't possibly love anyone but you, I've seen the way he looks at you!" Kagome said, trying to reassure her friend. She didn't know why Miroku would do anything like that but him and Sango were the perfect couple!  
  
"No, it's not true, because when I looked into his eyes as he said that, I saw truth in them, and loneliness, and sadness, there was nothing in there that would say he was lying. Nothing, and that's what made me so angry." Sango said while looking down on the couch, her eyes were glazing with unshed tears but she was too prideful to let go of them.  
  
"Sango-chan, I bet you that you were wrong, I mean, come on! Why else would Miroku go on dates with you if he didn't even like you?" Kagome asked. She herself didn't know the answer to the question.  
  
"God, you're so naïve! But maybe he only went out with me to forget about the girl, or worse, I was just one of his flings!"  
  
"Sango, don't do this to yourself, did he tell you who the girl was? Because I'm going to say to her that if she gets any ideas about anything that might be going on with her and Miroku, she's got it wrong!" Kagome said excitedly.  
  
". . .No" Sango said indefinitely. "No, he didn't tell me."  
  
"Oh, OK. Well I better get to sleep now because I have to wake up early! And Sango, don't you dare let this get to your head because I know you're the only one for him." Kagome said.  
  
"Yeh, whatever. . ."  
  
^^*^^*^^*^^*^^*^^*^^*^^  
  
Kagome awoke early that day. She looked around to reach for her alarm clock and turned it off immediately. She was scared that it would wake up Sango. She stood up from her bed and yawned while stretching her arms. Kagome looked out of the window to see a single, white dove on a tree. Doves had always been her favorite animals, but nowadays it was so rare to see one that was not caged up. She opened the window and reached over to touch it, but it flew away just as she was about to. In a way, it sort of reminded her of someone she knew back then, it reminded her somewhat of Sesshoumaru. The ability to fly just as someone was about to touch him, the ability to close himself off from the rest of the world. She got herself to thinking about everything that had happened and shook her head in realization that if she didn't stop, she would be late for work.  
  
"Sango, I'm going right now so I'll see you after work!" Kagome said in a whisper, her reply was just her roommate shifting to the other side of the bed. She stifled a giggle.  
  
Kagome walked on over towards the hospital, it was a bright morning day and inside she felt that way too, she was already in her nurse's uniform and came into the nurses' office. Kagome reported to the head nurse and said that she was already in. A slight buzzing could be heard from the panel.  
  
"Oh, here's are favorite patient from room 52 calling for his nurse. Better go get to it before he gets irritated, boy I don't wanna see that happening." Said one of the nurses.  
  
Kagome looked over at her and smiled because she too agreed with the nurse. Ikaryu was incredibly easy to get angry. She promised to herself that she wouldn't flip out like yesterday. Kagome walked on over towards the door of the room and breathed deeply, she put on her best fake smile and entered into the room.  
  
"YOU AGAIN?" was the greeting that she apparently deserved.  
  
"Well, what? I've been assigned to be your nurse!" Kagome said in a monotonous voice.  
  
"I thought you resigned after you were crying that day!" Inu-yasha exclaimed.  
  
"You knew? How? I mean. . .you didn't see me!"  
  
"Feh! I just know about these things b*tch."  
  
"Oh." Kagome's mouth just remained in the "o" figure. She didn't get why this guy could know that she was crying last night. It was really weird.  
  
"Well, what do you want?" Kagome asked, nicely this time.  
  
"Nothing, I just wanted to ring to bell to disturb any new nurses that might come in."  
  
What a jerk! What does he think he's doing? Just because he's little rich boy doesn't mean he can do that to other people! Kagome thought.  
  
"Ahh, and now I know that you're angry." Inu-yasha said in a happy voice. He was glad to make her this mad, it was almost fun.  
  
"Duh, Ikaryu." Kagome said.  
  
"Feh. Call me Inu-yasha b*tch, it sounds like you're working for me and heck, I wouldn't want that to ever happen, you'd mess everything up!" Inu- yasha said.  
  
"Whatever." Kagome left the room and went back to standby duty.  
  
Feh, what is wrong with that b*tch? Inu-yasha asked himself.  
  
"I am the mighty voice you have summoned, Inu-yasha." Something inside him said.  
  
"Who the hell are you?"  
  
"Well I am you and you are obviously me."  
  
"What the hell? I'm not this corny."  
  
"Aww come on, so I was paid to be this way by the author, now please just shut up and let me talk!" *AN: where did that come from?*  
  
"You know, nothings' wrong with her Inu-yasha." The voice said.  
  
"Something is wrong with you." It said again.  
  
"WHAT? ME? NEVER!"  
  
"Aww, but Inu-yasha, look at yourself, you're so mean to the girl while she hasn't done anything to you but inside all you can think about is how cute that one nurse is." the voice screamed.  
  
"NO WAY!"  
  
From outside the room, the patient in room 52 could be heard talking to himself, as of now, his current condition has been monitored as critically insane.  
  
^^*^^*^^*^^*^^*^^*^^*^^*^^*^^  
  
Inu-yasha Ikaryu pressed the button to call back the nurse, he wanted to make fun of her again, he needed someone to just torture.  
  
"You want to see her again. . .right Inu-yasha?" the annoying voice asked, this time Inu-yasha just ignored it.  
  
The door flung open.  
  
"WHAT IS IT THIS TIME? IF IT'S NOTHING THEN YOU BETTER NOT PRESS THAT BUTTON AGAIN UNLESS YOU ARE DYING! DO YOU HEAR ME YOU JERK?" apparently Kagome was on lunch break. She came into the room with a bowl of oden.  
  
"I mean, umm, what do you want?" Kagome asked sweetly.  
  
Inu-yasha just lay there with his eyes wide open while covering his ears.  
  
"Did I kill him?" kagome asked to herself although quiet loudly. "Well that's good if I did, nope, it's GREAT if I did! The stupid jerk, I hate him so much, hah, I bet if he ever had a girlfriend, she would've been paid a million dollars to go out with him! Or else just go out for him only for the money and cheat on him while she's at it!" Kagome said, not knowing that she was letting out her personal thoughts into the room. She always forgot to close her mouth and think to herself! Kagome mentally cursed herself and prepared for the impact. When there was none, she only stared at the patient in a surprised manner.  
  
". . .That's what happened. . ." Inu-yasha said quietly.  
  
"What? I mean, I, umm, uhh, didn't mean that! Umm, that was about, another person!" Kagome said while trying to cover up her mistake.  
  
"No, I know you were talking about me. . ." Inu-yasha said, not even trying to cover up his hurt.  
  
"Well, I'm sorry. . . you know? About what I said. . ."  
  
"That's what happened to me, before. . .and that's why I'm here. . ."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean what I say. . .I once had a girlfriend before, and she acted. . .so nice, but she only wanted me for my money. I gave her gifts, a lot, sometimes even cheques, but when she finally got enough. . .she brought out her real boyfriend to shoot me down so that I wouldn't be able to take everything I gave to her back. . ." Inu-yasha said while remembering about the past.  
  
"I, I'm sorry." Kagome couldn't find any better words to say to him.  
  
". . .Feh! Get out of here!" Inu-yasha ordered her out of the room, he didn't want to see the girl again, she was so realistic with things, she wasn't afraid to show the hate, the anger that lied beneath her to him. The girl wasn't plastered with the words "fake" on her.  
  
Kagome looked at him with concerned eyes and shut the door.  
  
"Kagome. . ." he said softly.  
  
Suddenly, the door flung open again and Inu-yasha's eyes immediately looked at who had entered.  
  
"Feh! Is it you again? What do you want this time?!" he said while mimicking Kagome's voice.  
  
"No, actually."  
  
"Ki-kikyou?" Inu-yasha asked, bewildered.  
  
AN: Yes! The third chapter is done! XD. . . I won't be able to update for some weeks because I'm gonna go on vacation! And also, REVIEW!!! 


	4. ...aND thEN thERe wAS FluFFY

AN: hi! It's me again! I tried to make this longer. . .whether you guys like it or not! If you don't review you know what happens to you right? Yup, I got my point across! XD. . .inu-yasha isn't mine P.S: to those of you who know who Flamer is just ignore it -_-_-_-_-  
  
"Ki-kikyou?" Inu-yasha asked, his eyes widening in the surprise he felt.  
  
"Ah, Inu-yasha." Kikyou said while inviting herself to sit down on the couch near Inu-yasha's bed. She straightened her skirt and held her purse tight.  
  
"Why are you here?" Inu-yasha asked, pain could be seen in his eyes, yet a hopeful glimpse was also there. What if she came to apologize? What if she came to tell him that she really did love him? What if. . .?  
  
"Inu-yasha. . .before you get any ideas, I am not here to visit you. I am here only to merely tell you something." Kikyou said, her voice cold with no emotion apparent in it. She was like an icicle, and her heart was made of steel. On the outside, she looked like a porcelain doll that should be handled with care, but on the inside, it was a whole different story.  
  
"What do you mean?" Inu-yasha asked, his hopes quickly fading away. He should've known better than to think there was still some light at the end of the tunnel.  
  
"Inu-yasha, I'm here to confirm with you that it's really over. I'm engaged to Naraku now." Kikyou proclaimed, a hint of mockery was set in her voice, Inu-yasha didn't know if she wanted it to be present or if it was just the way she talked.  
  
"Oh and Inu-yasha, here's an invitation to our wedding. Be sure to come to it, and oh, we don't accept flower bouquets." Now the mockery in her voice was obvious. Kikyou was laughing inwardly and she knew that she had won. She knew that Inu-yasha had been heartbroken and she knew that there was nothing anybody could do to fix that.  
  
"Kikyou. . ." Inu-yasha said wistfully. Ideas churned into his head about how she could possibly have pulled her act off. He didn't think that anyone in the world would be so good at acting. Kikyou really pulled her stunt of well, she had convinced him that she really was in love with him.  
  
"Ah, Inu-yasha, I have to leave now. I shouldn't be late for my appointment! It's very important! Do you think I should wear a wedding dress with sleeves? Or with no sleeves?" Kikyou covered her mouth and didn't wait for Inu-yasha's answer, anybody could see that she didn't even care about it. This time, she laughed out loud and opened the door as she slammed it in a hurry. It was just like she had slammed the truth in Inu- yasha's face.  
  
Inu-yasha kept quite for a while, and reflected towards his thoughts. His life wasn't that messed up before, sure, he didn't have many friends, but he could have. . .if he really wanted to. Then he had met Kikyou, and he thought that they were perfect for each other, he nearly proposed to her once. But it was shattered then. His dream, his goal. Everything. The night he was supposed to propose was the night he had gotten gunned down.  
  
Inu-yasha closed his eyes slowly and listened to the silent sound of the air. How he wished that time could turn back! If he had never met Kikyou then he wouldn't have been in this mess in the first place. . .A memory of someone flashed through his mind for a brief instance. He remembered that face, the one that looked so much like her, yet was so different. Maybe it was all connected somehow? Them meeting together. . .And that nurse seemed so nice too! She wasn't like the others, backing down from him, afraid of either his position or his actions. She accepted him. Maybe she would even be willing to become his friend?  
  
Inu-yasha shook his head in disgust of his thoughts. God, since when have I become like this? Asked Inu-yasha to himself. I've really gotten messed up!  
  
Through his subconscious, he had already pressed the button to call Kagome. . .  
  
-_-_-_-_-_-  
  
Kagome heard the bell ring on her desk, she felt so guilty about what she had said to Inu-yasha! She hadn't meant to screw around with his brain and memories. And the way he looked, it was almost as if he actually had emotions other than anger and mockery. What she had said must have wedged in really deep. She looked at this chance to say that she was sorry and quickly got up from her seat.  
  
"Oi, Kagome! Not quitting yet?" asked a nurse.  
  
"No way! It's just gotten interesting!" Kagome exclaimed happily.  
  
"What the. . .?" the nurse asked in a high pitched voice.  
  
"Personally I think she's gone crazy!"  
  
Kagome walked on over to patient 52's room, she found a woman striding away from it, a smug look painted across of her face. Kagome looked at her face more closely and to her shock, she found the woman looked like they could be related! So this must be Kikyou. . .the woman that Inu-yasha mistook her for. . .  
  
"What's going on here?" she asked herself, a questioning look on her face. Kagome quickly shrugged her shoulders and dismayed it, the problem was too much to think about. She would just ask Inu-yasha when she got inside.  
  
Kagome opened the door handle and the cool metal of it touched her warm hand. She peeked her head inside and saw the patient looking a little more than just distraught.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Nothing." He said in a barely audible voice. Clearly this guy was a bad sulker!  
  
"Then why did you call me?!" Kagome asked in a frantic voice. She was getting annoyed again. She guessed it was just the way things happened around Inu-yasha.  
  
"Listen, if you're still mad about what I said earlier, I'm sorry, OK?" Kagome finally got the guilt off of her heart as she said so.  
  
"NO!" Inu-yasha shouted, raising a few eyes from people outside wondering what was happening in the room.  
  
"No. . ." this time he said it more quietly, as if that one burst of anger was tiring for him.  
  
Kagome couldn't help the questioning look that formed on her face. She couldn't understand him; for sure he wasn't a normal person. . .  
  
"Just. . .stay here. . .OK?" Inu-yasha asked, his cold amber eyes suddenly melted into a pleading gesture that Kagome could not resist.  
  
"Fine."  
  
Kagome sat down on the couch where Kikyou had previously been on, she folded her arms on her lap and sighed. Minutes passed without a word being uttered. She looked up to the ceiling, wondering and nearly pleading that something interesting would happen and it would crash down or something. Anything. The silence was getting way too awkward!  
  
Her prayers were answered.  
  
"Do you know who that was?" Inu-yasha asked.  
  
"Who what was?"  
  
"That woman that just came out! Who else you idiot?" Inu-yasha nearly snarled at her this time.  
  
"First of all, don't call me an idiot because I am anything but that. And second of all, no, I didn't know who she was. . .but I think she was that person you mistook me for a while back. . ." Kagome said heatedly.  
  
"Kikyou. . .you're right. You two look so much alike that this is getting so weird all of a sudden. . ." Inu-yasha said.  
  
"What do you mean? What did she do?" Kagome asked. She knew that Kikyou had betrayed him in someway. . .but wasn't that enough already?  
  
"She's getting married to that boyfriend of hers. . .and she invited me to her wedding. . .just to see what my face would look like when she got here. . ." Inu-yasha said sadly.  
  
Kagome looked down, almost in guilt as she fidgeted with her hands. She didn't believe that anybody in the world, not even Inu-yasha, deserved to have somebody hate them as much as that. What had he done to Kikyou? Or was it that Kikyou was just manipulative and wanted his money? It didn't make sense!  
  
"It's so hard. . .cause whenever I look at you. . ." Inu-yasha trailed off his sentence.  
  
". . .You look at her, right?" Kagome asked quietly.  
  
"Yeh."  
  
"And here I was thinking that you didn't deserve it all." Kagome was on the verge of breaking out. Just because they looked alike didn't mean that he had to think they were the same! She was a person for God's sake! She was different than Kikyou! She hadn't even met the woman up until now!  
  
"What do you mean?" Inu-yasha asked quizzically.  
  
"You know what Inu-yasha? You know what? I'm starting to believe that you really did deserve every single one of these so called heartbreaks! You're dubbing me in the same category as Kikyou! I'm not Kikyou! I don't act like Kikyou! But really, there is one thing that I have in common with her. . .and that is I hate you!" Kagome screamed out. She was fully in rage and she couldn't help but utter those words! Inu-yasha had gone one step too far! To insult someone like that. . .that just wasn't right.  
  
"Go! GO!" Inu-yasha ordered while pointing his index finger towards the door.  
  
"There's one more thing I have to say to you. You look like this person I know that lost his brother when he was a little boy. His name is Sesshoumaru. I'm going to bring him in here sometime." Kagome said in a dead voice.  
  
Her only response was the air that surrounded the two, and she closed the door with a loud bang.  
  
"God. . .what have I done?" asked Inu-yasha as he was looking towards the ceiling.  
  
-_-_-_-_-_-  
  
[Sango's apartment] --- sorry demon-heiress, I have to put her in too!!!  
  
Sango could hear the phone ringing from the distance and picked it up instantly, hoping it was the food delivery guy from Pizza Hut explaining about why he was late. Kagome was going to be home soon and Sango had always said to the girl that she cooked all of that ordered stuff on her own! If Pizza Hut came in while Kagome was home she would be doomed!  
  
". . .Moshi moshi. . . ." Sango said lazily.  
  
"Sango?" said the voice on the other end of the line.  
  
"Oh. . . it's you. . . ." Sango said coldly. She knew who it was. It was that bastard.  
  
"Sango before you hang up, I've got to say I'm sorry. . .OK? I'm really, really sorry!" Miroku said on the other line, he didn't know what else to talk to her about. She was so unforgiving sometimes. But it's not like what he did was great either.  
  
"But you meant what you said. . .right?" Sango asked, tears nearly forming in her eyes. How long had she known this guy? For a long time, and she'd been under the false impression that he actually liked her! More or less loved her!  
  
"About that. . .I'm sorry. . .but it's true. . .OK? I'm sorry that I fell for someone else. . .I'm sorry. . . ." Miroku said in a strangled voice. He couldn't bear to say to the girl that he was in love with someone other than her! It was painful for him too, painful for him to realize it, painful for him to make others realize it. . .  
  
"Yeh. . .I know. . .And I am too. . ." Sango said, finally giving way, she couldn't be mad forever! Not at this guy. . .no.  
  
"So I guess, I'll see you around then?" Miroku asked quietly.  
  
"Yeh. . . . bye." Sango whispered as she put the receiver down. She needed someone with her right now, to comfort her, to say to her it was OK, but nothing was here, even Kirara was in the vet's! She felt the pain of being alone and wondered about everything in the past.  
  
[this is a series of flashbacks]  
  
Miroku asking her to go out with him.  
  
Sango saying yes, finally.  
  
Miroku protecting her from someone trying to touch her  
  
Miroku saying to her that he needed her. . .  
  
[end of flashbacks]  
  
"So it was all a lie. . ." Sango stated, she no longer needed questions, the answer was right in front of her. "I should've expected it from him. . ."  
  
The bell to the house ringed and she opened up the door to see the Pizza Hut guy.  
  
"Eh. . . at least I'm not alone any longer. . ." Sango laughed ironically.  
  
-_-_-_-_-_-_-  
  
(to all you Miroku/Sango fans. . . .this is NOT going to be Sango/Pizza Hut delivery guy)  
  
Kagome looked at her watch and found it was time to be going home, she said goodbye to the nurses and grabbed her bag that was lying on a bench nearby. Kagome walked out of the hospital building, still shaking with anger at the thought of Inu-yasha's words. She hated him even more! And she thought that it was impossible to despise someone so much. . .  
  
Heh, I'm defying my own words, she thought. Weird isn't it? I'm not supposed to be this way. . .  
  
Kagome walked across the block to reach to her apartment, she climbed the stairs and opened up the door to see Sango paying a delivery guy something.  
  
"Eh! Kagome? Eh, ummm, I can explain!" Sango exclaimed with her hands in the air. Her face was red with embarrassment.  
  
"OK?" Kagome etched her brow in a questioning stance as the delivery guy backed out of the house to close the door.  
  
"Umm, well, you know? I can't cook OK! I can't cook! So whenever you are out, I order some stuff and say I cooked it!" Sango screamed out.  
  
"OK?"  
  
"You don't care? Oh, thank God!" Sango said as she hugged her friend.  
  
"OK?"  
  
"So, ummm, how was work?" Sango asked.  
  
"It was AWFUL!" Kagome whined, and true, it was.  
  
"Tell me all about it, I haven't heard anything about what work is like!"  
  
"Well. . . .it started like this. . ." Kagome began to unravel her story piece by piece as she tried to explain things. It felt so good to let things out once in a while! She hadn't done this with Sango for a while and felt guilty about that. Sango was supposed to be her best friend! She should have talked to her about anything, anytime. . .  
  
Kagome quickly finished off the story with what had just happened recently and she heaved a sigh of relief, any more of keeping this to herself and she would've exploded!  
  
"So. . . this guy is one hell of a bastard? Right Kagome? And you think he might be Sesshoumaru's long lost brother? And after you discovered that. . . his old girlfriend comes to visit him saying that she wants him at their wedding. . . and she amazingly looks a lot like you? God. . . what is this? A soap opera?" Sango asked while counting her fingers. It was amazing how complicated this thing actually was!  
  
"Yeh, something like that!"  
  
"Uh-huh, OK."  
  
"Well I better be calling Sesshoumaru right?" Kagome asked.  
  
"I guess so, I mean, this is his brother. No matter how much of an idiot he is, they have to meet."  
  
Kagome walked over towards the phone and dialed Sesshoumaru's home number, hoping that he wasn't still in the city.  
  
"Please be home, please be home, please be home!" Kagome chanted.  
  
The phone receiver was picked up.  
  
"Hai, Moshi moshi."  
  
-_-_-_-_-_-_-  
  
just a few notes  
  
I'm sorry about leaving it here!  
  
I'm also sorry that Kikyou has not died yet. . . .but to those of you that hate her I've got a little plan for her  
  
To Kouga fans, you've gotta wait, he will come in when Fluffy visits  
  
To Shippou fans, he'll also come in.  
  
To Sesshoumaru fans, you'll love the next chapter! Sesshoumaru's fully in it!!!  
  
To people who are currently wondering who Miroku is in love with, all will be revealed in later chapters!  
  
And also, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!!!!! Pretty please?? 


	5. KoUGA's APpeAraNCE

AN: Thank you for the reviews! ^^ they make me happy! Anyway, inu-yasha doesn't belong to me, but I will add him to my growing Christmas wish list!  
  
-_-_-_-_-  
  
"Hai, moshi moshi." Said the unmistakably cold voice on the other line; uninviting; unwelcoming; unsociable, all of Sesshoumaru's traits, revealed through his voice all in one sentence.  
  
"Sesshoumaru. This is Kagome."  
  
"What do you want? Do you know what time this is? Or have you lost your ability to tell time?" Sesshoumaru snorted to himself, obviously pleased by his rather sarcastic comment.  
  
"For your information, it's only ten o'clock in the night and no, I haven't lost my ability to tell time, thank you for worrying though." Kagome retorted back, but she knew this would never get anywhere.  
  
"Umm, Sesshoumaru, can you please, come over to the city? There's something important, that I have to show you, and not tell you of." Kagome's determination could be seen in her eyes, even though she neither liked nor enjoyed the company of either of the two supposed brothers, she still felt responsible towards uniting them.  
  
"What if I say no?" he asked.  
  
"Then I will keep on calling you, and you don't want your little personal life to be disturbed by someone like me, do you?" Kagome threatened, she knew his weakness, he never liked to be bothered.  
  
No answer came on the other line.  
  
"I suppose your silence means a yes, come to my apartment at six o'clock sharp, I don't want to be late for work."  
  
"Fine, wench, but this is the last time we ever see each other."  
  
"Deal." Kagome put down the phone receiver and sighed a little while pushing her back against the wall; she never imagined Sesshoumaru would be /that/ easy to convince, after all, wasn't he supposed to be incredibly stubborn? What just happened made him look like a softy deep inside. Kagome laughed at the thought of such a thing and went inside her room, ready to sleep.  
  
-_-_-_-_-  
  
[Sesshoumaru's place]  
  
Sesshoumaru rubbed the temple of his head, his long silver hair clouding over his face; he couldn't believe that after such a long time; not counting the last meeting; he would get to see the face of his former girlfriend. True, something inside him wanted to say to her that somehow, he loved her, somehow, he wanted to be with her; but the larger part of him kept opposing this, telling him to keep his composure, to be himself.  
  
Is this really myself? Sesshoumaru wondered. What am I doing, doubting who I am? I am the almighty Sesshoumaru! I do not doubt my own decisions and the outcomes of them have only been towards my own benefit.  
  
Yet his heart kept on telling him that the last decision he made was wrong. The one regarding Kagome.  
  
Why is she always in my mind?! He asked himself again, frustrated, angry, lonely. . .  
  
"Argh!" he screamed out loud while pulling on his hair, ripping out a few strands. He smirked at the thought of how pathetic he must have looked at the moment, trying hardly not to laugh.  
  
So we meet again tomorrow? And this time his smirk turned into a real smile. . .  
  
-_-_-_-_-  
  
[in the morning]  
  
Kagome had had a restless sleep, even though she closed her eyes, all she could think about was the fear of meeting Sesshoumaru again; she was scared of the coldness, awkwardness, nothingness that formed between them. She was scared that he would despise her even more for no reason at all. . .She was scared of /him/.  
  
The girl sat up on her bed and walked over towards the bathroom, still half- asleep apparently, and brushed her teeth. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and was shocked to see what was there. Her once smooth skin was now cursed with black rings underneath her eyes, her long wavy hair was now tangled in between themselves, intertwining together.  
  
What happened? She thought, have I really been this stressed since I came here?  
  
Kagome dismissed about that thought and blamed it all on Inu-yasha, for sure, she was going to look a hell of a lot better and feel a million times happier when her job of taking care of him was over!  
  
By the time she was done thinking, she had already finished brushing her teeth. She put her toothbrush in the cup and grabbed her nurse's uniform, quickly changing. Kagome took a glance at the alarm clock and her eyes widened, it was one minute to six a.m. and she hadn't even had breakfast yet!  
  
Serves me right for waking up late! Kagome was screaming out inside her mind when suddenly, a doorbell rang. She looked around frantically while still pulling on her skirt and hopped over towards the door. Kagome peeked outside through the little hole in the door and saw Sesshoumaru's tall figure outside.  
  
Argh, so he really did come, Kagome thought, while slightly regretting her offer of bringing him here. She zipped up her skirt and opened the door, trying to fake a smile on her face.  
  
"You don't have to pretend to be happy." Sesshoumaru stated, if anything, his talent was to know when people were lying or not.  
  
"What do you mean? I-I'm not. . .Oh never mind! I have to bring you over to work, the thing I have to show you is there." Kagome quickly grabbed his arm and closed the door on her way out. Sango was still sleeping so she didn't have to say good-bye.  
  
"What are you doing?" Sesshoumaru hissed at her.  
  
"I told you, to take you to see something. Now follow me or I'm going to have to drag you there and we both know that we don't want to be seen like this."  
  
"B*tch."  
  
"Right back at ya!" Kagome said to him with a sickeningly sweet smile on her face.  
  
By the time they were done arguing, the two had already reached the hospital, Kagome went searching for the head nurse's office, ready to report that she was already in for work. They were probably going to be surprised at how early she was, but the earlier she started the sooner she could get home, and she wanted to get home fast that day.  
  
Kagome peeked her head inside the office room, scanning it for the head nurse, her eyes caught on a figure heaving over the desk, fuming at something. She stepped inside.  
  
"Oh Kagome! You're a life-saver!" the head nurse screamed out, while choking her on a hug. "There's a guy with his brother that's broken his leg here! No other nurses are in yet and I have to attend to another matter!"  
  
"There are no other nurses? Aren't people supposed to be on duty now?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Yes, but they're either apparently "sick", on holiday, or a so-called- family-death has occurred. Let me tell you, there's this one girl that had her father dying twice!"  
  
Kagome sweat-dropped.  
  
"So please, attend them! I beg you! Please?" before she could get a response, the head nurse had already showed them the room of the patient.  
  
"Here! They're in room 108 for the time being. Thank you Kagome!" The head nurse skipped off while singing songs towards her office, not forgetting to buy some snacks from the snack dispenser and grabbing a cup of coffee.  
  
"Hey! You said you had a matter to attend!" Kagome screamed out.  
  
"Yeh, THIS is my matter!" was her reply as the head nurse pointed towards her bag of chips while bumping into Sesshoumaru.  
  
"Hey there. . .how you doing? Here's my card, give me a call." She said while blowing kisses to him.  
  
Kagome grumbled while she cursed slightly, opening the door to the patient's room.  
  
[{patient's point of view ^^ guess who it is}]  
  
I think an angel just walked in! Beautiful, flowing hair, flawless white skin, sea-deep, blue eyes! Who is she? I must make her mine! But what kind of woman would not be mine? Only a crazy one would refuse! But this girl, the rose among the dead flowers in my garden, certainly looks sane enough to me! Oh, she is so beautiful, my little angel.  
  
I can imagine the future we will have, she will call me cupcake while I feed her strawberry icing that was squeezed out from my fruit garden that is now crowded with ants. I can imagine her happy face, oh, what joy I have to be injured at this time, all to meet this beautiful woman!  
  
[{normal view}]  
  
"Oi, Kouga-nichan! What's wrong?" asked a completely kawaii kid, jumping over from the back of the patient. He waved his hand in front of Kouga, who was still in utter daze.  
  
"Umm, are you the patient who's broken his leg?" Kagome asked timidly, he had such a faraway look on his face, maybe he was stoned.  
  
"Can you understand me?" no response. "Have you been taking any drugs lately?"  
  
"Ahh, what? Drugs, oh no, my fair lady, of course not! This Kouga will certainly never do illegal things, except of course, if it is to obtain you!" He shook his head slightly and thumped on his chest.  
  
[{Kouga's POV}]  
  
"Grr. . ." a man stood behind Kagome, slightly holding her shoulders. Who was this bastard? What had he to do with my woman? Does he not know that we are already in love with each other? Or is he a rival.  
  
Oh, a man as stupid as that, I feel sorry for him! The poor idiot does not know of mine and the nurse's blossoming affection!  
  
I sighed a distraught breath and wondered at what the nurse's name could possibly be.  
  
Maybe it was Kirei, a name meaning nothing but beautiful, just like her.  
  
Or maybe it was Kawaii, sweet and cute, but I imagined nobody would have a name such as this.  
  
"May I ask, what is your name, oh beautiful nurse that is worthy of my love?"  
  
[{normal POV}]  
  
"Kagome! Atashiwa Kagome desu!"  
  
"And who might that be?" Kouga said while glaring his eyes at Sesshoumaru.  
  
"That, is my friend." Kagome stated while emphasizing the word "friend".  
  
"Oh, my, then I still have a chance to be yours forever, Kagome! I am yours, and you are mine, we shall remain this way for the rest of our lives!"  
  
"Then I hope you will die in a day. . ." Sesshoumaru snorted at Kouga, unaware that he was making jealous remarks unconsciously.  
  
"That's it Sesshoumaru! Out of the room!" Kagome ordered to him.  
  
Sesshoumaru stepped out, still fuming in anger at the kid who thought that he could go around claiming women, and of all, Kagome! He widened his eyes in shock, since when had he been so jealous of other men crowding around Kagome? What was wrong with him?  
  
Kagome meanwhile, was attending to her new, uniquely different patient. She giggled at the thought of him and put her hand to her mouth.  
  
"Oh my fair lady, what is wrong? Is there something amusing?" Kouga said with amazingly concerned eyed, which only made Kagome laugh even more.  
  
"Ahahaha!" Kouga fake laughed, causing him to sound like a robot. "Ahahahaha."  
  
"OK! You continue laughing like that, but right now, we have to get your leg in a cast and to do that, we have to straighten it first, this will hurt a little." Kagome said to him.  
  
"Nee-chan?" a kid suddenly popped up, this time from behind Kagome, she stifled a scream and turned around towards him.  
  
"Are you fixing Kouga-ni-chan's leg?" he asked with big eyes.  
  
"Yes, I am."  
  
"Please let him be OK, he's taken care of me ever since I can remember." The kid said with tears in his eyes. He wiped them away, ashamed of not being "guy" enough in front of a girl.  
  
"No problem, umm,. . .?"  
  
"Shippou. My name is Shippou."  
  
"No problem in doing that Shippou!" Kagome flashed the kid a smile and ruffled his hair a little, he was so concerned over his brother just getting a broken bone! She never imagined that siblings could become so attached to each other.  
  
Kouga, meanwhile, was still staring at Kagome's back, his face in daze over her beauty, how he wished that he could just be with her for an eternity!  
  
Kagome turned around and looked at the boy, who looked stoned again, she took the chance to try and straighten his leg; she had heard somewhere that nothing hurts for stoned people.  
  
Crack.  
  
She could hear the bone moving as she straightened the boy's leg. It was sickening, disgusting, but not in the way that it would make a person puke; just start to imagine how much hurt it must've felt like for the patient.  
  
One minute, no response.  
  
Two minutes, still no response.  
  
By this time, Kagome was getting worried for Kouga, she started to shake him, trying to get him out of his daze, noticing one weird point; his eyes were so glazed, maybe he really was stoned! Or worse, he was going into some sort of shock, she was ready to dial the number for emergency, when a beaming sound stopped her in the middle of the tracks.  
  
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!" Kouga screamed out, nearly deafening everyone within a one mile radius, Kagome nearly fainted at the loudness of the noise, she had never heard anything like it, not even when she was a kid and she accidentally turned the stereo on full blast!  
  
"So the rumor was wrong then. . .straigtening a bone doesn't hurt less when a person is stone. . ." Kagome murmured.  
  
"Oh, but fair lady, I was not stoned on drugs, I was stone on YOU! You are the light to me, the rose of my life, the best thing that had ever happened to me!" Kouga screamed out.  
  
Kagome had already left.  
  
"CALL ME!" he said desperately.  
  
"Please?" Kouga whimpered, but all that was given to him was the sound of static air that hung in the depressing room.  
  
-_-_-_-_-  
  
"Who was that idiot?" bawled out Sesshoumaru at Kagome.  
  
"He's not an idiot! And he's quite sweet! No guy has ever done that to me, but really, he's only a patient, and what's it matter to you anyway?" Kagome asked, bewildered.  
  
"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!"  
  
"OK then, I'll show you the thing that's so important." Kagome pulled over Sesshoumaru to room number 52, which was way across the hall. She knocked on it and walked in the door.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here, wench?" Inu-yasha asked, his amber eyes widened as he realized the figure behind him. "And what the hell is HE doing here?"  
  
"You mean, you guys know each other?" asked Kagome, no-one had told her.  
  
"Yes! He's supposed to be my brother or something! My parents introduced me to him! They thought I wanted to meet my "real" family, but all I got to see was this one hell of a bastard!" Inu-yasha's face turned red, full of anger, as he punched his fist in the air, not forgetting to crack his knuckles after that.  
  
"How dare you call me a bastard, asshole!"  
  
"And on top of this bastard coming here, I have to have a wench as a nurse!" Inu-yasha did a dramatic impersonation of someone choking, but he stopped as soon as he saw Kagome's fallen face and a lone tear falling onto the floor.  
  
"OI! Don't cry! I don't like it when girls cry! But I don't consider you as a girl! But don't cry!" Inu-yasha waved his hands in the air, signaling a "no" sign.  
  
"Great, bastard, now you made her cry!" Sesshoumaru pointed at Inu-yasha, his full anger vented out.  
  
"WILL YOU TWO PLEASE STOP FIGHTING!" This stopped the two guys about to start their fist-fight.  
  
"Sesshoumaru! I thought that I was doing a good thing by reuniting you with your supposed brother, but now I know that I've made a terrible mistake. Get out of here." Kagome pointed to the door.  
  
Sesshoumaru remained where he was, oblivious to the fact that Kagome had just ordered him out. He was never ordered around.  
  
"NOW! Go back to your little stupid home in the village where nobody even cares if you're alive or not! Go back to the place where you supposedly belong because I am sick of looking at your face! I've had enough for today! You could've shown a little bit of appreciation to me for trying to show you that you had a brother, but all you've done is mock me and get into a fight! GO."  
  
Sesshoumaru reluctantly walked over to the door and closed it, he shook his head before leaving and didn't bother to even say a word. Whatever sentences he could form would only make the atmosphere even heavier.  
  
"And you! For your information, what ever you do, whatever you say, I will NOT quit my job! I have a future, and you know what? You are not going to ruin it for me!" Kagome spun on her heel, tears falling on her face, trying not to kill Inu-yasha in the process.  
  
"Oi." Inu-yasha said to her, while reaching out his hand, but he was ignored.  
  
"OI!"  
  
"What is it this time? Does the little prince want to use me as a dummy to ridicule?"  
  
". . .I-I'm. . ."  
  
"Spit it out, idiot!"  
  
"I-I-I'm. . ."  
  
"C'mon! It can't be hard to say an insult!"  
  
"I'M SORRY, OK? Are you happy now? There! I said it! I'm sorry!" Inu-yasha spat it all out at once, he didn't like admitting he was sorry to anyone, especially to girls, because it made him seem weak.  
  
"You are?" Kagome asked, tears forming in her blue eyes again.  
  
"What is it this time?"  
  
"Arigatou, Inu-yasha, Thank you!" Kagome smiled at him her most gracious smile and left the room, drying her tears.  
  
"She . . .smiled?" Inu-yasha asked to the air. "But. . .why? I don't understand, I don't understand at all. . ." Unaware to anyone, even to himself, he was blushing slightly.  
  
-_-_-_-_-  
  
AN: yes, I know that's a really bad ending for the chapter, but I didn't know where to end it! Otherwise I would have kept on writing and writing and sooner or later the whole story will be finished! (hmm, about the length of the story, this is gonna be preteee long)  
  
Anyway, please review!!! Please please please!!! I'll be very happy if you do! ^^  
  
WARNING: spoiler for the next chapter  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(kikyou dies in the next chapter.enjoy it!)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Please review!!! ^^  
  
Jyane  
  
Itadakimasu ^^!  
  
Liza w  
  
(i really should read over my chapter's twice. . .but I'm too lazy ^^ so gomen if this is kinda bad ^^) 


	6. ...AdMITtaNCe?

AN: Thank you for the reviews! Please review this chapter too ^^ Kikyou dies in the middle of the chapter, enjoy the happiness of it.  
  
-_-_-_-  
  
Kagome walked along home, her work was already done and it was getting late. In truth, she had stayed at work for longer, she would get paid extra for the over-work she had contributed. She looked back towards the day and laughed at the patients she had encountered that day. Suddenly, a menacing figure appeared in front of her.  
  
"Who-is that? I don't' have any money! I'm a poor person! See!" kagome said as she displayed the contents of her bag, a wad of money fell out of her purse.  
  
No! Kagome screamed in her mind, I forgot I had withdrew some money from the bank! This is my payment for a whole month's time!  
  
"Really," the figure said, stepping into the light, "I'm not going to steal from you."  
  
Kagome heaved a slight breath of relief. "Sesshoumaru?" she asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What are you still doing here?" Kagome thought that she was already mean enough to him in the hospital, she already regretted what she had done. After all, it wasn't his fault that she was already in a bad mood in the morning. Why did she have to throw it all out on him?  
  
"I'm renting an apartment here." He said as a matter of factly.  
  
"WHAT?" Kagome's eyes widened in surprise, unable to say anything she just stood there for a few minutes longer.  
  
"But, why?" she asked, words finally forming from her mouth.  
  
"Because I feel that Inu-yasha, as you so lightly put, my brother, is a danger towards your health."  
  
Kagome tried not to laugh at the way he put the words, why couldn't he just say that he cared? It was funny how he did that. He was so scared of admitting things that it was almost like a child's way of thinking.  
  
"Where?"  
  
"There was an opening in one of the apartments close to yours." Sesshoumaru said.  
  
"So that would be?" Kagome looked over towards the direction of her apartment, and she spotted one of the buildings close to it. She gasped again. "you mean? That apartment? That's the most expensive in the district!" Kagome screamed out.  
  
"No, actually, the woman decided to rent me it for free."  
  
[{flashback}]  
  
"Oh my gawd!" the woman said as she saw Sesshoumaru come in.  
  
He looked around and saw the lady at the counter. Her eyes were replaced with hearts.  
  
"how much for a month?" he asked in a monotonous voice that seemed to make her like him even more.  
  
"You know what, honey? It's for free!"  
  
[{end}]  
  
Sesshoumaru sweat-dropped at the memory.  
  
"Ah, I see." So he does have his uses, Kagome mused.  
  
"And also."  
  
"What?" she asked him.  
  
"I have enrolled at the hospital as a part-time worker."  
  
Kagome nearly fainted.  
  
-_-_-_-  
  
"So he said to you that he wanted to be a part-time worker at that hospital?" Sango asked her while laughing, Sesshoumaru had always disliked medical things. "How is that even possible?" she asked, still grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"I don't know! I mean, he hasn't even had training before! To think of all the courses and extra work I did just to pass that exam to become a nurse!" Kagome, in truth, was still shocked of the news that Sesshoumaru had told her.  
  
"So, did you ask him why he suddenly took this decision?" Sango asked.  
  
"Nope! I was just too shocked!" Kagome bent down to the table and took a sip out of her jug of iced cappuccino. Lately, it seemed as though she needed it to wake up. But then again, it probably was some sort of coffee addiction. With all the things happening, she wondered if she really needed drinks like that to keep her interested.  
  
"I bet you, Kagome-chan, he enrolled 'cause he wanted to be with you!" Sango said.  
  
"What are you talking about? That can't ever be possible!"  
  
"Ah, you have so many people hanging over you Kagome-chan!"  
  
-_-_-_-  
  
[yes, this is partially irrelevant, but hey, Kikyou's dying, let's celebrate]  
  
A lone figure stood in the darkness of the field, trudging on wet grass lands, trying to lift its skirt so that it wouldn't get dirtied with the mud on the ground. Rain was pouring around everywhere, and she was soaking wet, her hair frizzed from the wetness. It had always been a complication with her, the weather.  
  
"Crap!" she sweared in the rain. She was supposed to get back home by eight sharp or her boyfriend would get pretty angry.  
  
"They should escort me!" she cried out, "I, Kikyou, will not take this at all!" she cursed under her breath again and her foot got lodged in one of the mudholes. She tried pulling it out, tried freeing it from the terrible grip of the mud, but there was nothing she could do. She fell down, and was in shock when she realized that the mud she had stepped in was sinking mud.  
  
"HELP!" Kikyou cried out, she still had so much to do in life! To make Inu- yash miserable; to trick Naraku into giving her his fortune and leave him! Everything that she dreamed of!  
  
Suddenly, thunder started striking.  
  
"Oh great, now my hair will be even more fried." Kikyou sat in the mud for a while, thinking about what would happen to her hair if lightning did strike it. She had always loved her hair, it was straight, silky, her best feature, what would happen if she lost it?  
  
The lightning was gone and everything was silent once more, Kikyou got around to trying to pull herself out again, but nothing happened. Thunder could be heard in the background, rumbling itself in the distance. Then lightning emerged, and struck her. . .  
  
-_-_-_-  
  
Inu-yasha looked outside at the storm, many thoughts plaguing his head, for some reason they just couldn't get out, no matter what he did.  
  
"Get out, get out, get out!" Inu-yasha ordered at them, but nothing happened. He remembered the flashbacks, the words, the actions, everything. Why was he like this? He wasn't supposed to be!  
  
[{flashbacks]}  
  
"Kikyou? I'm not Kikyou!" Kagome screamed out.  
  
"Feh!"  
  
She sat down on the couch, folding her arms, her mind focused somewhere else.  
  
"Thank you, Inu-yasha!"  
  
Kagome smiling at him.  
  
Kagome.  
  
[{end}]  
  
Inu-yasha sat down on his bed again, giving in to the flashbacks, he didn't care anymore, it was probably some sort of side affect of being injured or something.  
  
"Kagome. . ."  
  
His heart beat a little faster at the mention of the girl's name, what was happening? He figured that he might have had a fever and tried resting a little, closing his eyes and turning off the lights in the room, but nothing happened. He tossed and turned in the bed, trying many method's of sleep, surpressing thought, sleeping without a blanket, sleeping face down, but neither worked. It was amazing in a way. He decided to press the button to call a nurse for a sleeping pill.  
  
"Yes," said the sleepy voice on the other line.  
  
"I want a sleeping pill."  
  
"Fine, it'll be right there."  
  
The nurse opened the door and handed him a pill, he drunk it quickly and closed his eyes again. It was then, and only then, that he could sleep peacefully, but his dreams were still plagued by Kagome's face.  
  
-_-_-_-  
  
"Quick, help her!" a fisherman said as he discovered Kikyou on the ground, half-sunk in the mud, struck by lightning. He tried to pull out the woman, but she was too lodged in. Suddenly, the body started moving again and she opened her eyes, but they were all white. The fisherman jumped in shock. He had never seen anything so terrifying. Not even the thoughts of drowning at sea were more frightening than this. He had never had a keen sense of trying to keep calm, so he screamed into the distance.  
  
"Get out of our way!" the paramedics said to him, pushing him out instead of waiting for him.  
  
"She's going into anaphylactic shock!" One of the men screamed.  
  
"We have to give her a pill!"  
  
They shoved a pill in her mouth and waited for a reaction, but there was nothing. Suddenly, her body convulsed again and she started biting her tongue, a few droplets of blood splashing out. She was allergic to the medicine!  
  
The paramedics quickly pushed her out of the mud and onto a stretcher, giving her an IV into her wrist. The wheeled her over to the ambulance, hoping that they would get to the hospital fast enough. . .  
  
-_-_-_-  
  
Kagome said good-night to Sango as she yawned, it had been a tiring day, but in all it was pretty interesting. She smiled to herself and flopped on the bed, closing her eyes while enjoying the softness of it. She thought a little of Inu-yasha, her patient, and laughed at how much he had changed over just a couple of days. He might've acted so high and mighty, but she could feel, inside, he was a good person. And nothing less than that.  
  
With anticipation for the next day to come, she went to sleep.  
  
-_-_-_-  
  
The ambulance went as fast as it could, transporting the injured, young woman inside. She had a series of fits again but lately they seemed less violent.  
  
Suddenly, her heart monitor went flat.  
  
"Quick! Give her the shock treatment!"  
  
The paramedic squeezed some gel onto the surface of the shock pads and turned the machine up to medium volt.  
  
He pushed it onto the woman's chest.  
  
No reponse.  
  
He turned it up higher.  
  
Still no response.  
  
He pushed three times.  
  
The line was totally flat.  
  
Everyone sighed in horror, as they realized that they had lost their victim. They were so close to the hospital by now. If only they had gotten there sooner!  
  
Kikyou Hinozuma was pronounced Dead on Arrival. . .  
  
-_-_-_-  
  
"I'm going!" Kagome said to Sango as she waved to her friend. She couldn't wait to start the day. She had never imagined that work would be so fun.  
  
Kagome walked on over towards the hospital building and checked herself in, wondering why the atmosphere in the hospital was so silent.  
  
"What happened?" she whispered to the head nurse.  
  
"We lost a patient yesterday night."  
  
"I'm so sorry! Who was it?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Even I don't know, they're keeping it under confidentiality. They don't want anyone to know who it is. All that I've heard is that it was a woman. A young woman too."  
  
"Wow. . ." Kagome whispered into the air, she was always scared of death, it surrounded her everywhere, that was for sure, but to be working in a place where you could experience it second-hand or see what it was like directly, that was something a lot more different than just watching a couple of medical thrillers or the news.  
  
Suddenly, the bell for her to attend to her patient rang and she hurried over towards room 52, waving good-bye to the nurse.  
  
"Yes?" Kagome asked, a little breathless from running.  
  
"Umm. . ." Inu-yasha looked a little flustered, he had called her here for no reason at all.  
  
Someone appeared from behind Kagome.  
  
"Kagome, what are you still doing here?" the man asked her.  
  
"Oh, Sesshoumaru!" Kagome cried out in surprise.  
  
"Yes." He said while gently placing his arm around her waist in a smooth manner. Inu-yasha scowled deeply.  
  
"Where's your work station?" Kagome looked up at him.  
  
"They're going to tell me today." Sesshoumaru glanced down at Kagome, making it look like they were about to kiss. Before he left, he threw a menacing glare at Inu-yasha and closed the door.  
  
"Do you like that idiot?" Inu-yasha asked a little demandingly from Kagome while straightening his bed to a sitting position.  
  
"Well, umm. . ." Kagome said, not sure of the meaning of the question.  
  
"I mean, do you love him?" Inu-yasha said, amplifying the question.  
  
"I guess, I don't know! I mean, I used to. . .but I'm not so sure about now. . ."  
  
"You shouldn't."  
  
"But why?" Kagome was a little perplexed by now.  
  
"Because I don't want you to."  
  
"Heh?" Kagome was just confused.  
  
"Because you're not supposed to be with him."  
  
"Meaning?"  
  
"Meaning that you weren't meant for him. . ."  
  
"So. . .?"  
  
"Don't you get the idea already?!" Inu-yasha screamed out.  
  
"No, not really. . ."  
  
"Whatever, women. . ."  
  
An awkward silence came between them, Kagome thinking about the conversation.  
  
"I still don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Feh!"  
  
"Oh right, what did you want?" Kagome asked.  
  
"I forgot already!"  
  
"Fine."  
  
-_-_-_-  
  
Kagome was about to close the door when she saw someone she recognized, hopping over to her. It was that guy from yesterday! That Kouga guy!  
  
"Oh, my dear Kagome!" he cried out, throwing one of his arms over around her. Unfortunately, patient 52's door was not yet closed. Inu-yasha growled at Kouga.  
  
"What are you. . .Jealous that she's my woman?" Kouga asked, taunting Inu- yasha, knowing that he wasn't able to fight him in that condition.  
  
"Hey! First of all, I'm not your woman!"  
  
"Then I'll make you mine! Just like I'm your man." Kouga said, nearly scooping Kagome up.  
  
"Really, Kouga-kun, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I came here, to give this to you, my love." He handed her a box of chocolates wrapped with shiny red paper and a ribbon on it. A rose was attached on the top with a little note written in perfect cursive writing, "for you.".  
  
Kagome gasped at the surprise and she hugged Kouga, causing him to blush. She'd never received such a simple yet pretty gift!  
  
"Thank you, Kouga-kun!" Kagome said in delight.  
  
"Of course, what else can a woman's man do for her?" Kouga's eyes danced.  
  
By this time, Inu-yasha's anger power had gotten onto maximum, he ripped out his IV and limped over towards Kagome, punching the walls slightly before putting his arm around her.  
  
"Ooh, you're getting pretty jealous aren't you? Well, before anyone gets hurt, I'll just get going." Kouga winked at Kagome and threw her a little air kiss which she blushed a little at. He skipped over on his good leg and crashed out of the hospital.  
  
"Feh!" Inu-yasha growled again, the redness in his face not fully gone yet.  
  
"What is your problem?!" asked Kagome.  
  
"I don't know. . .I don't like him."  
  
"Just like you don't like Sesshoumaru, right?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Do you hate all of my friends? They've got nothing to do with you, you know that right?!" Kagome was getting a bit angry.  
  
"Hmph."  
  
"Really, you're like a child! What's so wrong with Sesshoumaru, or Kouga- kun?"  
  
"Th-They're. . ."  
  
"Whatever! I don't care." Kagome flipped her hair over and walked out of the room, slamming the door shut.  
  
"They're trying to get you while you should be mine. . ." Inu-yasha said softly.  
  
-_-_-_-  
  
AN: I'm so evil! I ended it there! ^^ well, I hope you like this chapter, there's going to be even more fluffiness in the next chapter! So review please!! ^^ 


	7. fROGgISh diLEMmA

AN: Hi! I can't believe I haven't updated in such a long time! Gomen gomen! *claps hands and bows down* anyways, I hope you haven't forgotten about this fic just yet! Review please ^^

-_-_-_-

Kagome sneezed into the air, holding her nose slightly in order to prevent herself from doing so again. 

_Geez, someone must be talking about me_, she laughed at the silly old superstition and continued walking towards her home, completely oblivious to the pair of eyes that were watching her from behind the shrub. 

She sneezed again. 

-_-_-_-

He lurked in the bushes, looking at the woman walk by. She was pretty, incredibly pretty, if only she had more make up on, she could've even become a model for his agency. He looked at her up and down, his eyes gleaming with pure lust, that hair, and those eyes, they made him so happy just to look at them. He thought he was in heaven. 

_The others don't compare to this at all_, he thought ferociously. The man watched as she let out a sneeze, but even that small action provoked him even more. He rubbed the hair on his balding scalp and continued to follow her from behind the shrubs, of course, he did so silently. 

_I wonder if she's smart enough to notice she's being stalked_, he told himself. _I've been watching her for weeks, and she hasn't even taken a glance behind her shoulders_. He chuckled to himself, _beautiful and naïve, what a great combination_. 

The man stepped on a twig, emitting a loud cracking sound for his body was heavy, he looked around frantically, hoping the girl didn't notice anything peculiar. His question was answered when she flipped her head around worriedly; she stood still, the moonlight beaming off her silky, black hair and concentrated on her surroundings. He heaved a sigh of relief when she just passed it off as a coincidence. 

The girl hummed again; a musical tune filled his ears and he swayed to the gentle music, even her voice was beautiful. _What would I expect? _He asked himself. 

He looked through the bushes again and saw it was nearly time to enact his plan, the man looked at his watch, preoccupied with the second hand that was moving by slower than expected. Thirty seconds left until he would get her, only 30. 

-_-_-_-

Sango looked around the room, expecting Kagome to be home any minute. She said she was going to be late coming home from work but she didn't know how late. Sango was getting worried, what if something had happened to Kagome? She knew she was being paranoid, but she couldn't help it, she was like this since birth. 

She remembered Kagome calling her in the middle of the afternoon, talking of something about Sesshoumaru living one of the apartments near the hospital. Sango decided to call him, hoping that she could actually provoke him to check up on Kagome. She hated the bastard, but it was all she could do to make sure. 

Sango dialed the key pads, ironically praying that he was home…

The phone rang once, 

Then twice. 

"Welcome to Sakura apartments, please dial the extension number you wish to call." 

Sango tried searching in the back of her mind for the number Kagome told her. She bit her lip and clenched her brows together. What was it?! She asked herself. Suddenly, a minor flashback occurred in her mind. 

342.

She pressed the number in the phone. 

God, I just hope it's right… 

-_-_-_-

"Kyaaa!!!!" Kagome screamed as she scoured away from the figure trying to latch onto her legs, she grabbed her purse and took out her peppermint mouth spray. She pushed the tiny button on it and lifted it up to the man's face. 

"Ow!" he said, rubbing his eyes. 

"Who _are_ you?" Kagome asked him, hands on her hips while tapping her foot, snarling at the man who undoubtedly had…

…wait…

GREEN skin?!

"My name is Jaken." The man said, extending his hand for her to shake. Kagome refused and slapped it away, disgusted at him. "I've been following you for quite some time now, lady." 

"First of all, my name is Kagome, second of all, what kind of sick pervert are you?!" Kagome shouted at him, he was even worse than Miroku! And she thought that that idiot was as worse as they got. At least Miroku didn't stalk people, well if he did, he certainly did it better than this person. 

"OK then, Kagome-chan, may I call you that?" 

"No you may not. Proceed." Little steam boats were coming out of Kagome's ears, she looked like a train engine ready to burst any minute. 

"Fine. Do you want to know the reason I stalked you?" Kagome nodded her head vigorously. "Well, I have a modeling agency, and I thought that when I saw you, you would be perfect for it!" Jaken's eyes gleamed and he smiled a crooked grin at her, showing how much teeth he had lost over the years of his life. Kagome couldn't guess his age, she couldn't even tell if he was old or young. 

"What the…?" she aksed, confused. 

"Well, if you do decide to join, there is no job without its rewards. When you become a model for my agency, you get to be in company of myself, Jaken the great. Who knows, I can even make you my mistress!" The toad-like figure snorted like a pig and laughed. Funny, pigs were supposed to eat toads. Looks like this toad thought it was the predator for some reason. 

"You think that…" Kagome couldn't even begin to finish off her sentence, she glared at the man and punched him directly in the face, although it didn't make much difference to the way he looked. 

"So I guess that's a yes, then?!" Jaken smiled again and rubbed his bloody nose, he took out a tissue full of disgusting little snot balls that he'd managed to create over the years. Did he actually _collect_ those things or something? Kagome shuddered. 

"Not a chance." 

"Come on, it would be fun!" Jaken said as he patted his beer-bellied stomach, winking his eyes at Kagome. He saw her run and chased after her furiously. He might not have looked like it but he was one hell of a sprinter and he caught up to Kagome, who was slowed down by both her nurse's uniform and her tired day. 

"KYAAA!!!!" Kagome screamed, kicking Jaken in between his legs, the man didn't even move in inch. 

"Kagome!!!" a voice suddenly rose from behind Jaken, making him drop Kagome to the floor, causing her to wince in slight pain. She looked at the holder of the voice and gasped as she saw it was Sesshoumaru. His long hair faltered in the breeze and one second later, she could see him right up against Jaken. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sesshoumaru asked, pointing at the little toad-man, his anger was at full fletch. 

"I'm taking her with me, that's what it is, if you think you'll stop me, think again, I'm pretty feisty." 

Sesshoumaru lifted him up off the ground by the neck, being careful not to kill him just yet. Jaken gurgled and he tried spitting in Sesshoumaru's face, only to leave a line of drool down his face, if in fact, you could call it that. 

"P-p-put me down…" he ordered in a stern voice. 

"What do you say first?" Sesshoumaru dug his nails into the man's neck, causing a slight trickle of blood to fall out. 

"Please." 

"And?" He squeezed even harder. 

"I won't disturb the lady again." 

"That's it." Sesshoumaru dropped Jaken down when he least expected it, the man fell straight on his butt, only to bounce right up in the air. "Now go, before I kill you." Sesshoumaru said coldly with a slight hint of actual truth in it. 

Jaken ran away, arms rising up in the air, screaming out loud "Mommy, save me!", it was a sorry sight of a full grown man begging for his mother. Sesshoumaru smirked at the remembrance of the thought and walked towards Kagome. 

"Get up." He ordered, extending his arm to her, a gesture of sudden friendliness. 

"Thanks…" Kagome refused the offer and stood up on her own, patting her skirt so that it was rid of any annoying dirt that got stuck on it, she tucked her hair behind her ears and picked up her purse that lay on the ground. Sesshoumaru glared at her once and walked past her, brushing her shoulder on the way. "Wait! Sesshoumaru!" Kagome screamed out, hoping that he would hear her. He stopped, not bothering to look back. "How did you know where I was?" 

"Sango. You should go see her. She seemed worried." With that, he was gone into the darkness. 

_Sesshoumaru actually came down on account of **Sango** of all people? _Kagome wondered about this for a bit and disregarded it as nothing, she ran towards her apartment building, wanting to tell her roommate that she was all-right.

-_-_-_-

Inu-yasha pouted as he realized that Kagome wasn't at work yet. Lately he'd been thinking about her a lot for some reason or other, it was weird, what was even more disturbing was the fact that he nearly lost his calm, superior look with her and Kouga yesterday. What was wrong with him? He checked his forehead, no temperature, maybe it was because of the IV drip? Not possible…unless, he had gotten drugged somehow and….

Inu-yasha shook his head when he realized that someone had knocked on the door.

"Sorry I'm late! Something weird just happened and I didn't know what to do…"

"What was it?" Inu-yasha tried to suppress the blush that was forming underneath his skin, he didn't want her to know how anxious he actually was. 

"Well, umm…" Kagome fiddled with her fingers a bit. 

"Tell me!" Inu-yasha whined. 

"It's Sesshoumaru." 

"What about him?" 

"He just asked me to be his girlfriend again."

-_-_-_-

AN: So you ask, what is wrong with the author??? Mwahahaha, evil isn't it?? Anyways, please please I beg you review! Me likes review ^___^ do you want this to be sess/kag or inu/kag? I already have it in my mind though ^___^ just asking! Review please!


	8. sOmEhOw?

AN: hehe, the chapter's finally here -__-;;

-_-_-_-

When you thought about it, life was really a means of simplicity; you are born, you go to school, then to work and retirement, and then it is followed by death. But you see, along those little paths, there are a couple of bumps, and a couple of huge mountains that block your way. Kagome and Sesshoumaru were that mountain. Well, at least for poor, old Inu-yasha who was, frankly, shocked. 

"What the? How the? Why the?" he sputtered out those words instantaneously, confusion, more than anger blazed in his eyes. 

"Umm, it's a long story but--…"

"Make it short then!" 

"Well, last night I was attacked by this guy--…"

"Wait a second!!! You were attacked? B-…"

"Do you want me to finish or not?!" Kagome moaned. When she had gotten the nod of approval from Inu-yasha, she continued on, "Sango had called up Sesshoumaru before to check up on me and he did…so he saved me from the attacker and now I'm fine and back here again." 

"No! Wait! Did you say yes to him?" Inu-yasha lifted his good arm out of the bed and spread his fingers towards Kagome's direction. 

"Umm…"

"Don't just 'umm'!"

"I said to him that I didn't know yet…I mean, he's always been cold to me after the break up, but now he's back here and I'm just so confused!" 

Inu-yasha silenced at the word 'confused.' Confused were for people who weren't sure; confused was for people who had the _idea of going somewhere, but didn't have the guts too. So Kagome was 'confused?' Not a good sign, not a good sign at all…_

"Inu-yasha, I'm going to be out of here by noon because I have lunch with Sango, so you'll be taken care of by nurse Kirike. Don't worry, she's really nice."

"Feh! Why should I care? She's probably better than you anyway."

"You know…I don't know whether to slaughter you or laugh at you. But seeing as your state is pretty pathetic already, I think I'll be glad to slaughter you." 

"Try if you dare."

"No thanks, you're no match for me!" Kagome waved to him as she went out of the room, making sure to slam the door while closing it. She knew it wasn't exactly the nicest thing to do, but wholly felt that Inu-yasha deserved it, "Oh! I forgot to say something!" Kagome panicked as she ran down the hall towards Inu-yasha's room again. 

"Inu-yasha!" Kagome screamed out, opening the door ever so gently, "be nice to the new nurse!" 

"Stupid woman, it's not as if I can't hear or nothing…"

-_-_-_-

The problem with Inu-yasha that day, was not a matter of emotional damage towards what Sesshoumaru had asked Kagome, but it was that _he had planned to ask her something of frank importance in the morning. Now that his plans were screwed up by some unrefined bastard, he hated Sesshoumaru even more than the usual battering of despise. It was quite odd, in fact, that Inu-yasha would be feeling this way, for the only woman he had ever been attracted to was the now dead and deceased Kikyou, whom in the end only betrayed him for Naraku. He couldn't help though, the gut-wrenching feeling that he somehow liked Kagome better than Kikyou, sure they looked alike, hell, they could pass for twins, but Kagome had that "I-don't-give-a-damn" attitude that no-one could resist. Too bad for him, she was already a third taken. The other 1/3 of her belong to Kouga and the rest to herself. Inu-yasha had often visioned of being with her ever since he had seen her cry that other day. He could see through her soul that time, the purity and awe that had managed to bestow him was still evident in her now. _

"Is there me in her heart? Or is it all left to other people?" Inu-yasha thought in silence, the annoying hum of the machines next to him did indeed provoke him to nearly lash out at them. He was often a man of silence, especially during awkward times like this. Too bad there was nothing he could do, that feeling of utter despair was going to stay with him for a pretty long time. 

-_-_-_-

"Hmm, let's see, let's see, a hah! Here's obituaries!" Sango squealed in delight, her eyes perked up with a mischievous twinkle as she skimmed down the obituary page. However weird and cruel it might have seemed of her, death was one thing that fascinated her. Everyday, people died and were born, almost like a never-ending cycle. But what interested her most about death was that there were some people in the world that had accomplished so much, but were acclaimed for so little. Just like that man on column 3 row 7 who was a history professor and had managed to make 3067 students pass an IB course throughout his life. Now that was a great achievement, wasn't it? So why wasn't he famous already? Because some stupid old geezer like Rotts Wielr had probably created a disgusting act of treason towards the country. Sango's eyes suddenly caught on the picture in column 4 row 8; there was something about it that intrigued her to the very depth of her soul. "Now isn't that Kagome?" she asked herself, puzzled at it, but when she found out who it really was, my oh my did her eyes open in shock. "Kikyou…" the name rolled off her tongue like a dough of bread would roll on a tabletop. 

"Born in 1980, died 2002, daughter of divorced parents, Jonathan and Linda Burnard, engaged to Naraku. Solitary by all means, but greatly missed by those who care of her," Sango hesitated as she read off the small writing detailing about Kikyou's life. The way they wrote it in the newspaper, it seemed like Kikyou had no life at all, but Sango knew that there was a depthness behind it all. 

"I can't believe it, so you finally died, didn't you?" Sango huffed satirically. 

"Did you know how much you made my life a living hell? Going out with my brother and then dumping him on the street like that? Did you know that he nearly _killed himself because of it? Our family nearly broke because of you! Well, I guess that you know that know, but I hope that you're having a fun time burning in hell! Think of what those flames would do to your perfect skin! Or what they would do to your silk hair! You know…I've never actually rejoiced in a person's death except for yours…"_

Sango quickly ripped up the paper and threw it in the trash can; she did not like to see Kikyou's smiling face looking directly at her, and she definitely did not like to see her eyes seem so happy. It was disgusting, that fake grin of hers and the fake everything; she hated Kikyou to the very core, especially of what she had done to Kohaku. It was Kohaku's fault as well though, as to why he went out with a women 5 years older than him, but she had not expected Kikyou to betray him like that! All to some guy that had white hair and a couple of fangs, as she heard from the brother. Sango wondered what had happened to him, and wish him for a turmoiled life. She never knew that her wish had come true already…

-_-_-_-

By the time noon was up, Kagome had already barged out of the hospital doors, only to find Sesshoumaru waiting outside for her. She simpered over towards him, looking slightly disoriented as to what his purpose was to visit her. 

"Sango said that she couldn't make it, some sort of personal reason. But before you go there to her, she said that she was all-right and needed time to rest," Sesshoumaru said, noticing the look in her eyes. 

Kagome snickered slightly at Sango's message that was passed on through Sesshomaru to her; the girl had known her for too long and too well. 

"Thanks for telling me, or else I would've been stuck out here all day and night!"

"I would have come anyway…"

An awkward pause occurred between the two as Kagome blushed heavily from the comment. She had never had anyone tailing her like this before, that is, if you don't count Kouga, who unfortunately doesn't count at all. 

"Come, I'll show you something," Sesshoumaru clasped his hand on hers and dragged her towards his car, opening the passenger door for her. 

"Got a car now?" 

"Yeh, the rent-car lady gave it to me." 

"Yeh, I wonder why? Maybe she was making a move on you? Or else she wanted you to take her on a ride with the car?" Kagome asked sarcastically; ever since they were children Sesshoumaru had always been noticed by girls all around him, little did he know that he could use it to his advantage when he was older. It would've been great to be married with him, then all of the little presents he got could be given to her…Wait! Kagome screeched in her mind, _had she just thought about being married to him? _

"Put on your seatbelt," Sesshoumaru ordered coldly, making Kagome extremely grateful for interrupting her thoughts. She looked outside towards the hospital building and sighed; so what if Inu-yasha didn't give a damn about her and Sesshoumaru? It wasn't her problem right? 

"Hmph!"

"Hmph what?" 

"Ah! Nothing!" Kagome fake-smiled, waving her hands to lament on that. They rode in silence for the rest of the time. 

"Lunch with Sango, eh?" Inu-yasha smirked from inside the hospital. 

-_-_-_-

"Sesshoumaru, what are you going to show me?" Kagome asked, bored of the silence that had occurred between the two. 

"Nowhere special, just a drive." 

"Hey…if it's nowhere special then why'd you take me out?" 

Kagome received no answer as Sesshoumaru parked the car nearby a restaurant. He shuffled around for a while to reach into his jacket pocket, drawing out a small, black box that he held tightly inside his hand. Kagome gasped and held her breath as she fully realized what it was he was holding. 

"B-b-but…"

"You don't have to say anything…I always thought of giving it to you before everything…but I guess I'll give it to you now…" 

"So you mean, you wanted to...?"

"Yeah, when we were still together…"

"And what about now?" 

"I don't know yet…I was hoping I'd find out when I gave you it…but I guess I haven't yet…maybe it's too late already for us, but…"

"Hey…it's never too late for anything, even an old dog can learn a new trick, so everything's possible," Kagome told him, looking deep into his eyes. 

And just as she said that, Sesshoumaru leaned in towards her to lock his lips onto her own…

-_-_-_-

AN: and then here's the ending of this chapter, thank you all for the rotten tomatoes that have been plastered on me. Haha, don't worry, the pairing is still blurry here so you don't have to complain just yet!!!


	9. lIsTeNiNg

AN: Ahahaha, now I couldn't leave the story just there, could I? Or else you guys would still be seething on the ground!!! Anyway, did I ever say this story was going to be Sess/kag? Ahahahahaha *scampers off*

-_-_-_-

Kagome's eyes widened in shock as Sesshoumaru continued to deepen the kiss. Truthfully, she didn't know what to do, but she knew how she felt, and she also knew that Sesshoumaru was not going to like it. She felt partially guilty as the man in front of her closed his eyes and tried to embrace her. She didn't know why, but there was just something wrong in the way he held her, something not quite right in the way he kissed her…it was as if he were a mere thing of the past of which she had dwelt upon beforehand, but did not need now. Before the situation would get even more hectic, Kagome pressed her hands on Sesshoumaru's chest and drew him apart from her. Her solidatory eyes preyed upon him, hoping that he would not be too disappointed. She waited for a second, and slowly, a minute passed by. Tired of waiting for an answer, she finally spoke herself. 

"Sorry, but, I just can't," were the only words she could splutter out of her mouth. She knew they were pretty indecent, for here she was, facing the man that had both saved her life and had metaphorically tried to ask for her hand in marriage. Kagome didn't dare to look into his eyes, they seemed as though they were burning through her own, trying to search for something different in her body language rather than what she had just said. Quite ironically, the only thing she got from Sesshoumaru was an ignorant 'huff.'

"No, I should be the one saying that," he said quietly, his hand roaming through his silver hair, "let's go back, I'll drive you home." Gently, Sesshoumaru pulled the 'parking' gear into driver's mode and was about to reverse the car, when Kagome made it for the door. 

"I think I'll be walking home now," she said, trying to make it sound more polite than agitated. 

"It's alright."

"And, umm, I don't think I should be keeping this either," Kagome added, handing over the black box to Sesshoumaru. She quickly walked away, not bearing to see whatever kind of expression would be plastered on the man's face. 

"So I guess it's that way, huh?" Sesshoumaru grimaced, a hint of apprehension inside his tone. He lowered the car's window and threw the black box over to the left of the car where it landed near a garbage bin. "I guess some homeless guy's going to get lucky," he added, before shutting the window and driving away. 

-_-_-_-

Kagome did not know what was wrong with herself. A while back, she had still thought that Sesshoumaru was her 'one and only,' and that she would always vest in the belief that one day, she would be with him. And now her plans were screwed up. And she didn't even know why. There was that nagging presence in the back of her mind that wiredly screamed out a word or two that she couldn't make out. What was it talking about? Who was the nagging voice? Her conscience? Her inner-self? Her utmost destiny? She didn't know, but she felt right now, that it was the only that held the answer to her problem. 

Kagome rubbed her hands in anticipation as the imaginative cold got to her. She passed by a couple of strangers, of which she bumped into and failed to apologize. She stood out in the middle of the crowd, with her back hunched over and her eyes deep in thought, she was the exact opposite of the prominent young business men and women walking to and fro. 

She let her body go wherever it please, to the right, to the left, forwards, or backwards, her feet controlled her movements, and not her brain. Eventually, though, without her notice, she landed right in front of the place she dreaded to come to most; the hospital. Whatever lead her to here was cruel, evil, and ultimately, stupid; for some reason, she could not bear to see Inu-yasha again. There was something about his eyes that told her not to come to work anytime soon, but what she saw in him wasn't a speck of anger, yet of deceit and hurt. Kagome wondered as to why this was so, but her brain hurt from thinking too much and she decided to let go of the matter. Sighing, she walked inside the building and rushed towards patient 52's room. 

-_-_-_-

With a patient that had broken bones everywhere in his body, it was actually amazing that Inu-yasha could stand up, let alone pace hobbitly alongside the perimeter of the room while rubbing his chin. His hair swished from side to side as a growing mount of both annoyance and fear started to envelope him. He hadn't felt this way in a long time, sick the stomach and anxious to death. It was this mixture of emotions, that brought him to lash out in shock when Kagome came tumulting back into the room. 

"Oh Inu-yasha! What are you doing?" she asked him, trying to get him back into his bed. 

"I-I-I don't know! What am I doing? You tell me, huh?!" he cried out, his amber eyes searched drastically for some place to hide in the room while his voice shook. 

"Well, from what I see, you're walking around the room with your IV unhooked again. Now let's get you back where you belong because I don't want to lose my job." 

"That's all I am to you, right? Just a job? Your big cut? Right?!" 

"Inu-yasha!" 

"Tell me!" 

Kagome could see Inu-yasha breathing heavily with his fist set in gear of anticipation. She knew he was stressed out, she could see that by just looking at him, and like the event with Sesshoumaru, she had no idea why. 

"Inu-yasha, come on, obviously you're not feeling well, I can get you a couple of pills or something if you want them," Kagome said, trying to calm him down. 

"I don't want any frigging pills! God! Just, just leave me alone, OK?" 

Kagome scowled as Inu-yasha lashed out at her, she hated it when he did that, it always made her feel so inferior, but also, somehow angry. 

"First of all, you have no right to say that to me and second of all--…" 

Kagome was interrupted by two strong arms embracing her petite frame, her eyes widened when she realized what had happened. Inu-yasha was hugging her. Inu-yasha was _hugging her_. Now that was something different, something she did not expect in any situation. But, it was a good different, she liked the way he felt around her, it was like they fit for each other, his head rested on her own as she hooked her chin onto his shoulder. 

"Please stay with me…" she heard Inu-yasha say, interrupting the silence between them. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Just-just…" Inu-yasha broke off the embrace and took a few startled steps back. His tremored breathing complimented the way he bit his lip when he was nervous. Slowly, he pointed towards the door and stooped his head down lowly. 

"What, so you're asking me to leave now?" 

"…"

"You know, there seriously is something wrong with you. I thought for a moment there that you were different than what I had expected you to be. But I guess that you were just doing that cause you wanted to hold someone so badly and I was just within your reach. It makes sense. Espescially for a guy that was dumped by his ex only to find out that she broke it off with him because of his long-time rival. It makes perfect, perfect sense. And I don't blame you either. You're also a sick bastard, you know that? Now have a nice day, and make sure to call the nurses if there's a problem," Kagome spat out cynically. If previously she had disliked Inu-yasha, now she despised him. What was he doing back then? Was he just toying with her? That was probably the answer, but too bad he didn't succeed in doing so. But what if she really was manipulated by his games? Then the situation would have gotten much worse than now; instead of her mocking him, he would probably be the one mocking _her. When she heard no reply from Inu-yasha, she took it as a sign of confirmation of her thoughts, she gently opened the door and slammed it so that his sensitive ears would hurt from the banging noise it made. Kagome rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth, trying not to strangle every other person that came up to her…_

-_-_-_-

Inu-yasha stood near his bed and felt cold perspiration break out on his forehead, his heart beat in rapid, unsystematic beats as he opened his mouth to say something. He knew it was already probably to late for him to go apologize to Kagome, knowing her, she'd probably come back the next day and try to jab a huge needle in his throat or something. He laughed at the thought that he would rather have her do that to him instead of facing the reality that Kagome might never forgive him. Inu-yash flopped on his bed as he closed his eyes, he felt immensely guilty for sending Kagome out, but he never usually showed emotions like that to even his own family, let alone a girl he'd only known for a couple of days. He didn't like the fact that Kagome had such unknown power over him. Whenever he felt angry or sad, her face and words would pop right into his head. Whenever he wanted to hold someone, he envisioned holding her. But now that he'd ruined it all, he didn't know what action to undertake; it was simply, catastrophe. 

Inu-yasha slowly rubbed his temples, his fingers undergoing the same routine over and over again, up and down, up and down, until the point where he could stand it no longer and decided to get up and do something. He tried turning on the TV for starters, but could only think about how good her hair smelled when he was holding her. Then he tried reading a book, but after a few attempts of trying to read a sentence, he realized the book was upside down. Finally, he tried playing a couple of games on the PlayStation but was caught off guard when he noticed how much the main character looked like Kagome. So after a few hours of jolting about and cursing himself, Inu-yasha finally gave up hope and plopped back on his couch. 

-_-_-_-

"Kagome, so how's the demon patient?" the head nurse asked her, petting the nurse's hat on her head. 

"Argh, don't even ask!"

"Is it that bad?" 

"Yes, even worse, actually, I can't tell you the full details or I'll make myself throw up."

"Inu-yasha's a full handful, isn't he?"

"Oh, and mention of his name also makes me want to throw up. Please, just call him 'it' for now."

"OK then, wow, you and it must really not hit it off well."

"You think! God, I just hate the way he acts so high and mighty!"

"Hah, I had him for two days in ICU and I nearly quit my job! Thank God they transferred me over here," interrupted a young nurse from behind Kagome. 

"Ooh, that's really bad! I couldn't even stand him for one day!" said another girl. 

"Bah, that's nothing, I had to take him into the sedate room for his operation and all he said to me was how 'unprofessional' I was." 

"Oh! And don't forget me! He told me that his daddy was going to "fire" me, Goddamned daddy's boy doesn't know a thing about how hospitals work," cried out a small girl from across the room. Soon the room began debating about what extremeties Inu-yasha had put them through, and to Kagome's own surprise, she started to laugh along with them. 

"Hey! I've got a story for you!" Kagome suddenly screamed, her arm waving in the air excitedly. "You know, just today, he was just asking me, 'am I just a job?'" Kagome imitated Inu-yasha in a high voice, she waited for the laughs to die down, "well, what do you all think? Well of course he's just a job! Damn! The only reason I've managed to stay alive is because I want to get promoted fast and good! I can't stand the damned bastard! What was he expecting me to say? 'No, you're not, I love you?' Hah, then he can think again! We all hate him, don't we?" Kagome lifted her fist into the air. An air of cheering blasted inside the nurses' office with a few people even clapping for Kagome. 

"Now, now, calm down, or else poppa's little boy might get mad and 'fire' us all," kagome said, whispering the word 'fire' as if it were poison. The nurses got back to their daily jobs and continued on with their break, smiling and snickering a little at Kagome's point. 

"You hate me that much, don't you?" Inu-yasha whispered from outside, his ear pressed on the door. A small tear trickled down his face as he cowered over towards the oblivion of his room. 

-_-_-_-

AN: *tries to dodge the rotten tomatoes* don't worry, next chapter is going to be up soon! Please review!


	10. aNd So Do I?

AN: it's been a while since I last updated! Sorry about that…anyway…enjoy the chapter and please review! And btw, sorry, but it won't be sess/kag ^_^;;

---

So what if stupid Kagome didn't like him? And so what if she decided that he was an outright prick? And what would it matter if she hated him after all? It wasn't like it was going to ruin his life, was it? Because Inu-yasha always got along perfectly well without women, a small toss here and there was OK, but he didn't need anyone to sustain him, or anything, right? Inu-yasha flopped down on his bed as he sighed dramatically, casting his eyes on an interesting spot in the ceiling. He absorbed himself in municipal thoughts and cursed as all of them were visions of the one, the only, Kagome Higurashi. It was mortifying, to say the least, that he, of all people, would be dreaming about a girl in the middle of the day. And somehow it struck a chord in his nerves, that deep inside, he really did need her to sustain him, to like him, to be his friend even though he wanted more. 

"I don't' know what to do anymore," Inu-yasha whispered, clutching his chest with his hand. The bones inside his arm crackled ferociously as he winced in pain. "Why does it always have to happen to me?" Inu-yasha asked blatantly, "First Kikyou, now her!" 

He slammed his fist against the bed, the patient identity that embraced his wrist shattered in two as he proceeded to leave the room. 

"I'm taking a walk!" Inu-yasha huffed while slamming the door hurriedly. 

---

"Hey, Inuyasha!" Kagome called out, opening the door gently. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier! Can we call it a truce?" she poked her head inside the room, surprised to find that Inu-yasha wasn't anywhere there. "He's probably in the bathroom, oh well, I'll just wait for him," Kagome walked over to the small couch and started to open the newspaper she held in her hand. "Now let's see, where are the comics?" she mused, scratching her chin with her index finger. 

Kagome turned the pages rapidly, but during her wide search for almighty comics, one article caught her attention. 

"Woman Dies Mysteriously?" she said, pronouncing the titles as if she were a child learning to read. "Now this is interesting! Let's see what it's about," she murmured. 

"The body of a missing woman has been found in the city-hospital morgue," she mumbled, reading the article out loud, "officials declare that the exact demise of her death is unknown. Kikyou, who had been a prominent--…" Kagome's eyes widened in shock. She knew this woman! But she couldn't quite place her just yet. She remembered her from somewhere; and it suddenly hit her like a brick. Inu-yasha's ex – the one that he always confused her with! 

"Where are you Inu-yasha?" she asked worriedly, springing up to his bed. She heard something clatter to the floor and picked it up instantaneously, wondering whatever the hell Inu-yasha so carelessly threw away. "Oh my God, his patient ID! He's escaped!" she screamed, running out of the room to find him. 

---

"Oh well, that was an interesting walk!" Inu-yasha declared, stretching his arms above his head while managing to crack his knuckles. He sniffled slightly as a sneeze came to fill his senses. "Damnit," he swore, "if I didn't walk through that weird bush with all that bird stuff in it, I wouldn't be feeling so weird right now," Inu-yasha grumbled. He touched the tips of his hair and tried unsuccessfully to clean them free of twigs, branches and leaves. "Stupid thing! Now I have to take another shower." 

He walked inside his room slowly enjoying the last breath of fresh air he would get in a while. Actually, he would probably be breathing real fresh air in about three or four more days; the other nurses had said that his checkout time was soon, which was blatantly good. He needed to forget all the things that happened in here, after all, even if he did enjoy Kagome's presence, it wasn't like she enjoyed his, or that he was going to hang around the hospital all day to look at her work. Nope, that wasn't how Inu-yasha worked at all. 

"I seriously cannot wait!" He cried out ecstatically. He jumped onto his bed and winced in pain as he felt something protruding into his back. Mumbling slightly, he pulled the alienic thing free of his behind and grudgingly looked at it. "What the hell is this?" He asked in surprise, opening up the large piece of paper. "Oh right, a newspaper," Inu-yasha stated. "Some idiot must have left it on my bed," Inu-yasha tossed the newspaper away from his grip, causing the papers to scatter on the floor. "Aw, crap! She's going to kill me!" 

He pranced quickly to the small stacks of paper and proceeded to gather them when the door suddenly burst in on him. 

"Inu-yasha!" Kagome screamed, breathless. 

"Kagome?" He asked, slightly confused. 

"Oh my God, I thought you were gone," she muddled, "I mean, your patient ID was on the floor and you weren't in your room and I just thought you left and everything!" she ran towards Inu-yasha, kneeling down on the floor with him. She took his large frame into her arms as she hooked her head into the crook of his shoulder. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, "I'm so sorry about everything." 

Inu-yasha, on the meanwhile, was in a state of delirium where he didn't even hear her talking. He melted inside her embrace and breathed in the scent of her hair, masquerading around the thought that she actually did enjoy being with him. But then came those stupid words "I'm sorry" and it shattered all of his prolonged visions. 

"Why are you sorry?" He asked, bunching his eyebrows into a confused stance. 

"Because I was so hard on you," she admitted, "and because of Kikyou." 

"Kikyou? What's wrong with Kikyou?" 

"Don't you know Inu-yasha?" she asked in surprise, yelping slightly at his lack of knowledge, "She's dead, Inu-yasha! She'd dead…" 

"What, Kikyou, dead?" 

"Yeh…" 

"But that's wholly impossible! That idiot could live through anything, be it poisonous wasps gathering at her forehead or a multitude of murderers trying to kill her with a knife!" 

"Inu-yasha!" Kagome screamed, breaking the embrace. "This is no time for jokes!" she cried. Kagome stood up quickly and paced around the room, looking directly into Inu-yasha's eyes everywhere she went. 

"How do you know?" Inu-yasha pondered, taunting Kagome with his tone. 

"Look in the paper, it's page 13 I think, the article talks about a woman's mysterious death." 

Inu-yasha hurriedly opened to paper to avoid Kagome's death-glare and found himself sitting astute on the floor when the words she had uttered were anything but fake. Kagome was telling the truth! Kikyou was dead! 

"B-but…" he stuttered, unable to know how to respond. He could be the devoted ex-lover and cry his tears out, or the unrepeated passer-by who would mumble words of wisdom; or he could be the cruel man and laugh her death to the grave. But out of these three possibilities, who could not pick any single one to proceed with. 

"Inu-yasha, it's OK, it'll pass by with time," Kagome whispered, rubbing his back with her hand. 

"And why do you care so much?" Inu-yasha asked, his tone monotonous. 

"I don't know…you seemed to love her so much, you know?" she continued talking, "When I first came here all you had on your mind was her! I could see it in your eyes that you wished I was her, and that you wanted her to be close to you," she took a deep breath. "And I guess that if you knew she was dead, you'd have gone loony for a moment and tried to escape to pay back anyone who'd done wrong to her. I was scared there for a moment, I though that I'd lost you…but here you are right now in front of me…and I guess that's enough to say that you're going to be all right," Kagome sat down beside him, drawing her legs closer to her chest. 

"I don't love her," he mumbled. 

"What? Speak louder, I can't here," she said, resting her head against his stooped back. 

"I don't love her!" he shouted, jolting Kagome awake, 'at least not anymore." 

"Oh…"

"I love somebody else," he said apprehensively. 

"Oh! Who is it?" her eyes twinkled with amusement. 

"I'm not telling you!" 

"Oh, come on! I'm not going to tell her!" 

"But you are, it's complicated." 

"Now come on, I want_to_know!" she screamed, twisting the skin of his arm with a blasted pinch. 

"I told you," Inu-yahsa huffed in pain, "I'm not telling." 

"Fine then, maybe I just won't talk to you for an eternity." 

"Hey! That's not fair, oh fine, I'll tell you," he remarked grudgingly, pulling her in closer to him. He cupped a hand over her ear as she blushed cladly. "It's you," he whispered. 

"Oh, that's funny!" Kagome giddily remarked, slapping him on the shoulder. "No, seriously, who is it?"

"Yeah, seriously," he mocked her, "I've told you who it is." 

"B-but…" she stuttered, unable to think of a witty response. 

"Yeh, I think I'm going to take another walk now," he said, standing up in the process while scratching his head. He held out his hand to her, "want to come with me?" He looked at her small frame on the ground, still unable to move from the immediate shock of what he said. "Yep, I didn't think so. Oh well, good day," Inu-yasha remarked, waving his hand up and down in front of her face. He grumbled slightly and pushed himself out of the room, ready to seek another adventure with some multitude of trees, bushes and snakes. 

Kagome, on the other hand, was still sitting on the floor, stuttering like a chicken, lolling her head from side to side. 

"You love me?" she mumbled, still surprised at the impact o his words. 

"Yeh, maybe I do too." 

---

AN: Whew…I'm not good with fluff scenes…or any other scene for that matter…but really! Please review and tell me what ya think…and btw…Sango, Miroku, Kouga, Shippou and Sesshoumaru (the almighty hated one in this fic) will appear next chapter! 


End file.
